ROURKELA: In the fight against second Covid wave, the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL has been doing a yeoman’s service with uninterrupted supply of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to hospitals in Odisha and other states.
RSP has turned a saviour of Covid patients by augmenting the LMO production substantially. In normal circumstances, three air separation units (ASUs) of RSP are egnaged in producing oxygen in gaseous form for steel making and LMO for Ispat General Hospital. Additionally, two more ASUs are being operated on build-own-operate (BOO) basis by Linde India Ltd to meet RSP’s total oxygen demand.
At a time when many hospitals in Odisha and outside are in dire need of oxygen to save lives, the RSP has supplied over 840 tonne of oxygen so far in April. Since April 2020, the RSP has supplied about 8,000 tonne of LMO to Odisha and other states.
A senior official said, the RSP has stepped up its liquid oxygen production exclusively for medical purpose to serve the country in this hour of crisis. However, he admitted that availability of special tankers to transport LMO is a major bottleneck.
Unlike the first outbreak, the second wave is proving to be more dangerous with Covid hospitals in Rourkela and elsewhere witnessing quick deterioration of patients’ condition. In critical cases, oxygen is being administered to keep such patients alive and increase their chances of survival.
Besides LMO supply, the RSP is running an RT-PCR testing centre and plasma bank in collaboration with Odisha government. It is also all set to turn its newly built super speciality hospital into a Covid-19 hospital for critical patients. President of Rourkela Ispat Karkhana Karmachari Sangh (RIKKS) HS Bal said it is a commendable move to produce and supply LMO at a cheap price to help the country fight against the pandemic and save lives of citizens.