All defence PSUs to produce oxygen

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Tejas oxygen supply tech for pvt industry

MoD has offered to the private industry a technology developed for oxygen generation onboard Tejas jet

1,000 litres of oxygen can be generated per hour; can cater to hospital needs

Another DRDO technology for maintaining blood oxygen saturation level of troops in extreme high-altitude areas will be used for Covid patients

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

All companies and factories under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have been told to immediately buy oxygen producing machines and provide extra beds to civil administration and state governments to tackle the Covid crisis.

The decision was announced following an emergency virtual meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday.

There are nine public sector undertakings (PSUs) under the MoD, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited, Mazagon Dock Limited. Also, the Ordnance Factory Board has 41 factories while the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has multiple units and labs working on dual use technology–military and civil application.

Rajnath asked the armed forces to be in close contact with the state governments and be ready to provide any required assistance. He also directed the forces to go ahead with procurement of critical medical requirements under emergency powers of procurement.

DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy told the Minister that the facility in New Delhi was being increased from 250 to 500 beds. An ESIC hospital converted into a Covid care unit in Patna has started functioning with 500 beds while a Covid hospital will soon be made functional at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. He said work was on war-footing to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and 900-bed facility in Ahmedabad.

The HAL too is opening Covid care centres in Lucknow and Nashik, which are in addition to the one functioning in Bengaluru.

Among those who attended the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, Army Chief General MM Naravane, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar.