ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) delivered the first tranche of a consignment of 5150 medical grade oxygen cylinders to Odisha, part of a continuing contribution by the steel manufacturer to bring relief to victims of Covid-19 across India.
The first tranche of 1350 cylinders landed at Bhubaneshwar airport this morning and will be distributed by Odisha state officials to medical centres across the state. The airlift includes both 46.7 and 10 litre capacity cylinders, which are in acute shortage in Odisha.
A second consignment of 3800 units is on its way and is expected to arrive in Odisha in the coming days.
AM/NS India, one of India’s leading integrated flat carbon steel manufacturers, has tapped into its unparalleled global production and sales network to source the relief equipment and, with support from UN agencies, organised their swift delivery by combined sea and air passage.
Today’s consignment for the government of Odisha extends AM/NS India’s support for Covid-19 to six states across India: supplies and support are already supporting relief work in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
This includes building in 72 hours a 250-bed COVID hospital in Gujarat, now being expanded to 1000 beds, near the company’s main manufacturing site at Hazira; and the daily supply of 250 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen to destinations in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Since April, more than 9,200 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen has been supplied, which is the equivalent to treating nearly 9,20,000 patient days.
In addition, seven nitrogen-carrying trucks have been converted to load oxygen to increase the supply of oxygen to areas with shortages. Multiple other initiatives are under way focused on rural communities, where transmission rates have been rife during this second wave.
Asit Tripathy, Principal Advisor to the CM of Odisha, who received the consignment at Bhubaneshwar airport today said: “AM/NS India’s contribution will go a long way in meeting urgent requirements as we battle the second wave of the pandemic. The company has worked swiftly to organise and deliver these critical medical supplies to several states in India. The Government of Odisha also remains resolute in its efforts to safeguard not just the people of Odisha but also across the country, having supplied oxygen to several other states.”
Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary to Govt., Department of Industries and Nitin B. Jawale, MD, The Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL) have also graced the occasion.
Lakshmi Mahapatra, Head of Corporate Affairs (Odisha Operations) at AM/NS India, who has been co-ordinating the local response to Covid-19, said, “Our focus throughout this pandemic has been the health of our people, our communities and India at large. We recognise that we have a responsibility to support state governments as they battle through this health crisis. We are confident that through these collaborative efforts, which bring together citizens, communities, governments and industry, we will overcome this crisis, together.”
