India trying to get as many cryogenic oxygen containers as possible: Envoy in Singapore

The Indian Air Force on Saturday brought four cryogenic tanks, to be used for transporting oxygen, from Singapore as the country scrambles to meet the spike in demand for medical oxygen amid a surge in COVID-19 infections. 

The containers were airlifted from Singapore by C17 heavy-lift aircraft of the IAF. 

India’s High Commissioner to Singapore P Kumaran told PTI that there will be more consignments in the coming days. 

"We are trying to get as many cryogenic oxygen containers as we can from any part of the world," said Kumaran, adding that oxygen plants and concentrators are being contacted. 

Acting swiftly to meet the high demand of oxygen requirements, India procured four containers of cryogenic O2 tanks from Singapore on Saturday. 

The transfer of four containers of cryogenic oxygen tanks donated by Tata Group was moved from Singapore by the Indian Air Force, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Singapore (MINDEF), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, LINDE GAS (Singapore) and the Changi Airport and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, the Indian mission said in a Facebook post. 

According to observers, Indian corporations with international network are supporting the Government of India's call in getting the cryogenic oxygen containers at the highest priority. 

India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds. 

Since Friday, the IAF has been airlifting empty oxygen tankers and containers to various filling stations across the country to speed up the distribution of the much-needed medical oxygen in treating COVID-19 patients. 

On Friday, the Union Home Ministry said it was in talks for the import of high-capacity oxygen-carrying tankers from Singapore and the UAE.