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In view of the shortage of medical oxygen in Kerala, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, along with its business partner Prodair Air Products, has commenced the supply of liquid oxygen to government hospitals free of cost, to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Covid-19: States rush to fix oxygen supplies as demand soars
The truck carrying the first consignment of liquid oxygen from BPCL Kochi Refinery to Government Medical College, Ernakulam, was flagged off by S Suhas, District Collector.
Govt allows oxygen to be transported in ISO tank containers for fast movement
Post the outbreak of Covid, the demand for medical oxygen has gone up manifold and government authorities have identified shortage of medical oxygen across the country. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has been requesting refineries to explore the possibilities of producing medical-grade oxygen with available facilities in the refineries.
Free of cost
The build-own-operate unit of BPCL-KR, operated by Prodair Air Products India Pvt Ltd, has provision to produce and store liquid oxygen of 99.7 per cent purity. This liquid oxygen is expected to meet the medical grade specification. Various Central and State government agencies such as Centre for High Technology (CHT), Factories & Boilers, PESO, have been in contact with BPCL and Prodair Air Products and have been offering all their support for this initiative, a statement issued here said.
Considering the urgency of the situation prevailing in the State due to the unprecedented spurt in Covid cases and medical oxygen shortage, BPCL and AP explored and established the possibility of producing 10 tonnes/week of liquid oxygen which will meet medical grade oxygen specifications.
Liquid oxygen, thus produced by Air Product, would be supplied to Ernakulam Government Medical College, Ernakulam General Hospital and PVS-Government Covid Apex Centre for a period of two months. The expected quantity to be supplied through this is approximately 90 tonnes. This supply would be free of cost under the CSR/CER initiative of BPCL and Prodair Air Products.
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