VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh faces an uphill task to transport liquid medical oxygen to filling stations and hospitals here from other states due to shortage of cryogenic oxygen tankers.
Daily demand for medical oxygen to treat the Coronavirus patients in the state ranges from 340tonnes to 360tonnes. At times, this goes up to 390 tonnes. AP is maintaining the stocks of nearly 480 tonnes of medical oxygen a day. This means the quantum that is available is sufficient for the time being.
However, as the number of Coronavirus patients is rising rapidly, with many of them requiring medical oxygen, the available stocks may get exhausted.
The Centre has allotted liquid medical oxygen to AP, some 150tonnes, from Angul in Odisha, 68tonnes from Bellary in Karnataka, 10tonnes from Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, 100tonnes from RINL, Visakhapatnam, 60tonnes from Liquinox in Srikakulam and 40tonnes from Ellen Berries in Visakhapatnam.
Though the total daily quantum of medical oxygen thus allotted comes to 428tonnes, the state is facing a tough task to transport this from Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, for want of oxygen tankers.
AP health authorities say it takes three to four days for the tankers to reach the supply from Odisha to this state for its local supply. Only about 60 oxygen tankers are available for transport of medical oxygen, be it from other states to here or for internal distribution to hospitals within AP.
Unless AP manages to get more cryogenic oxygen tankers and receive additional quantum of medical oxygen, the state may not be able to meet the increasing demand for the oxygen in hospitals treating Coronavirus patients.
AP state nodal officer for medical oxygen S Shan Mohan said, “Transportation of LMO from states like Odisha to AP has become a major problem for us due to want of adequate number of cryogenic oxygen tankers. If the number of patients rises, we cannot ensure supply of adequate quantum. “The state government has requested the Centre for allocation of additional quantum of medical oxygen.”
