24,000 beds soon near refineries & steel plants

NEW DELHI: Nearly 24,000 beds are going to come up near oil refineries and steel and power plants as part of an exercise to reduce the logistical challenges to transport oxygen with the Centre also finalising imports to augment enhanced production of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) for Covid-19 patients.
The latest update on oxygen released by the Centre estimated that production was nearing 9,500 metric tonnes, 1,000 metric tonne increase over the last fortnight, amid diversion of supply from industrial purpose and capacity utilisation nearing 129%.
“Commensurate with the increase in production and demand, LMO sale in the country has also increased from about 1,300 MT per day in March 2021to 8,920 MT on 6 May. During the first wave of COVID-19, the maximum sale of 3095 MT a day of LMO was seen on 29 September 2020. The sale of LMO grew more than fivefold from 1,559 MT a day on March 31, 2021 to over 8,000 MT mark by 3 May, 2021,” it said.