The Tata Group on Tuesday announced on Twitter that it is importing cryogenic containers to transport liquid oxygen to ease the shortage in India amidst the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen over 1.82 lakh patients dying of the deadly virus.
In India, over 15 million people have been tested positive so far during the second wave, which is also witnessing a severe shortage of beds in both government and private hospitals, and a dearth of oxygen cylinders.
“PM Narendra Modi’s appeal to the people of India is laudatory, and we at the Tata Group, are committed to doing as much as possible to strengthen the fight against #COVID19. To mitigate the oxygen crisis here is one such effort to boost health infrastructure,” Tata Group tweeted last night.
“The Tata group is importing 24 cryogenic containers to transport liquid oxygen and help ease the oxygen shortage in the country,” it added.
In a response to this, PM Narendra Modi tweeted, saying, “Compassionate gesture by the Tata Group. Together, the people of India will fight COVID-19.”
In another post, the Indian conglomerate had shared that the containers will be imported through specially chartered flights. “Given the oxygen crisis, we are putting in all our efforts to support India’s healthcare infrastructure.”
Earlier this week, Tata Steel — a faction of the Tata Group — shared that it will supply 200-300 tons of liquid medical oxygen to various state governments and hospitals.
“Medical oxygen is critical to the treatment of #COVID19 patients. Responding to the national urgency, we’re supplying 200-300 tons of liquid medical oxygen daily to various state governments and hospitals. We are in this fight together, and will surely win it!” it had tweeted.
In a similar effort, billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries has tweaked the manufacturing at its Jamnagar oil refineries to produce over 700 tons a day of medical-grade oxygen, which is supplied free of cost to states badly affected by COVID-19, sources said, according to PTI.