Covid-19: IFFCO to Supply Medical-Grade Oxygen to Hospitals Free

IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited) has announced its plans to set up four oxygen plants in the next 15 days in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Odisha with an investment of around Rs. 30 crores. The plants will be established at Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh, Kalol in Gujarat, and Paradeep in Odisha.  

The objective of setting up the plants is to provide free oxygen to hospitals facing a shortage of oxygen during the sudden surge of Covid-19 infections. The country is reeling under a serious surge of Covid-19 cases and hospitals are in acute shortage of oxygen.  

According to IFFCO's official statement, the company will establish a plant with 200 cubic meter per hour capacity in the Kalol unit of Gujarat. Each cylinder will be of 46.7 liters and will be provided free of cost to hospitals.  

Key features of oxygen plant in Gujarat 

• IFFCO's oxygen plant will produce medical-grade oxygen.

• It will fill 700 huge D-type cylinders every day. 

• The oxygen plant will fill 300 cylinders of medium B size on demand. 

• The company will provide cylinders to all hospitals free of cost. 

• Hospitals will have to bring their own cylinders for refill. 

• In case a hospital takes a cylinder from IFFCO, the company will take a security deposit to avoid hoarding of oxygen. 

Center's take on oxygen supply 

According to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the Center has taken major decisions to increase medical oxygen supply in the wake of the surge in Coronavirus cases.  

The decision includes restricting industrial oxygen to nine industries. The Union Minister informed that the government has done a mapping during a meeting with 12 state governments and union territories most affected by Covid-19 infections. The government plans to provide 6,177 metric tonnes oxygen to these states.