After procuring 12 cryogenic oxygen tanks, each with a capacity of 20 tonnes, from China for transporting medical-grade liquid oxygen from neighbouring States, the Tamil Nadu government will import four more tanks with a similar capacity from Taiwan.
“The tanks from Taiwan will reach Tamil Nadu in a couple of days,” Minister for Industries Thangam Thennarasu said after inaugurating the sale of vegetable and fruits from vehicles here on Monday. He said the 12 cryogenic oxygen tanks had reached Chennai from China. The government had ordered four tanks from Taiwan to further strengthen the supply chain. Moreover, 1,500 oxygen cylinders, ordered by the State, had reached the Visakhapatnam harbour from Singapore. “They will reach Chennai on Tuesday,” he said.
Mr. Thennarasu said the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, the government hospitals in rural areas and the private hospitals of Tirunelveli district had a sufficient quantum of oxygen for the COVID-19 treatment. The government was continuously getting the life-saving gas from Odisha and Maharashtra, from where 900 tonnes would reach here.
He said 121 tonnes of oxygen generated by Sterlite Copper in Thoothukudi had been distributed to government medical colleges in the southern districts and to the private firms supplying the gas in cylinders. The plant would soon reach its capacity of 30 tonnes. The donated concentrators were being used at COVID Care Centres.
Mr. Thennarasu said steps had been taken to bring the death rate down, and early intervention was important for bringing it off. “The public should cooperate with the government to ensure full vaccination, which is vital to preventing death and even the severity of the infection,” he said.
Collector V. Vishnu said the district received 20,000 vaccine doses on Sunday.
