Indian Navy warships bring medical equipment from Gulf & Southeast Asia

THREE Indian Navy warships brought oxygen and medical supplies to India on Monday (10).

Ins Airavat, Ins Kolkata, and Ins Trikand reached Indian with consignments of oxygen and other medical equipment.

80 tonnes of liquid oxygen, 20 cryogenic oxygen tanks, 3,150 cylinders, and a large amount of other medical supplies were brought from abroad to help the country amidst the second wave of coronavirus.

Last week, the Indian Navy deployed nine warships to bring liquid medical oxygen and other supplies from several countries in Persian Gulf and southeast Asia. Out of which three warships Ins Airavat, Ins Kolkata, and Ins Trikand have reached India with the consignment of medical supplies.

The medical supplies being brought by the ships included 900 oxygen-filled cylinders and 10,000 rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits, 54 oxygen concentrators, 450 PPE (personal protective equipment) kits.

Indian Navy ship Airavat reached Visakhapatnam from Singapore carrying eight cryogenic oxygen tanks each having a capacity of 20 metric tonnes of oxygen and other supplies

Another warship, INS Kolkata, arrived at New Mangalore port carrying 40 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen, 400 Oxygen cylinders, and 47 oxygen concentrators from Qatar and Kuwait.

INS Trikand reached Mumbai with 40 tonnes of oxygen from Qatar.

Under operation 'Samudra Setu II' the Navy has stepped up its efforts from all three naval commands in Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, and Kochi. Ships were deployed to bring oxygen and other medical equipment.

Last year, the Indian Navy had launched Operation Samudra Setu as part of the Vande Bharat evacuation mission under which brought back to India around 4,000 stranded Indians from Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Iran.

Countries around the world have sent medical supplies including oxygen-related equipment to help India tide over the situation of coronavirus pandemic.

The leading countries that have supplied assistance to India included the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait, and Mauritius.