3 Navy ships arrive with critical medical supplies from foreign nations

INS Airawat carrying a shipment of 8 Cryogenic Oxygen tanks and other critical COVID medical stores including 3898 Oxygen Cylinders from Singapore as part of Samudra Setu II, arrives in Visakhapatnam on May 10, 2021. (PTI Photo)

INS Airawat carrying a shipment of 8 Cryogenic Oxygen tanks and other critical COVID medical stores including 3898 Oxygen Cylinders from Singapore as part of Samudra Setu II, arrives in Visakhapatnam on May 10, 2021. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI, MAY 10 (IANS): Three Indian Navy ships arrived at three different ports on Monday carrying oxygen tanks, cylinders and other critical medical equipment and supplies from Singapore, Qatar and Kuwait, in an effort to meet the surging demand for oxygen to treat Covid patients in the country.

"As part of the ongoing Operation Samudra Setu II to support the nation's fight against Covid-19, INS Kolkata arrived New Mangalore, INS Trikand entered Mumbai while INS Airavat arrived at Visakhapatnam on Monday," the Indian Navy said.

These three ships are part of nine ships deployed for Operation Samudra Setu II for the shipment of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) and associated medical equipment from friendly foreign countries in the Persian Gulf and South East Asia regions.

INS Airavat arrived at Visakhapatnam with eight cryogenic oxygen tanks and around 4,000 oxygen cylinders along with other critical medical equipment/supplies from Singapore.

INS Trikand was deployed to augment shipment of LMO cryogenic containers from the Hamad Port in Qatar to Mumbai.

The ship arrived at Mumbai with 40 MT of liquid oxygen. The consignment carried is part of the French mission 'Oxygen Solidarity Bridge' to support India's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

INS Kolkata arrived at New Mangalore Port on Monday with 400 bottles of Oxygen, two 27 MT containers of LMO and 47 concentrators that were embarked at Qatar and Kuwait.

While these ships entered the ports to augment oxygen supply in three different states, two more warships are enroute India from Kuwait while one ship is in Brunei to embark medical supplies.