2 containers for carrying oxygen being brought from Dubai: Home Ministry

Two containers for transportation of oxygen are being brought from Dubai, amid increasing demand for medical oxygen in the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Monday.

Earlier, four cryogenic tanks for transportation of oxygen were brought from Singapore on Saturday.

"IAF C-17 aircraft reached Dubai today to airlift more empty O2 containers to supplement efforts to enhance oxygen availability in current COVID-19 surge. The effort is being coordinated by MHA," a home ministry spokesperson tweeted.

India is struggling with the second wave of coronavirus infection and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

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

The coronavirus situation continues to be grim in India with 3,52,991 people testing positive and a record 2,812 deaths being reported on Monday.

The central government is trying to source oxygen from different parts of the country and making it available in the worst-hit states by running special trains.