Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and acute shortage of medical oxygen faced by several states, India's Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) is importing mobile oxygen generation plants to address the ongoing oxygen crisis, officials said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The AFMS is importing 23 mobile oxygen generation plants from Germany and these will arrive within a week.
"AFMS has decided to import oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany, amid shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of COVID-19 across the country," principal spokesperson in the federal defense ministry A Bharat Bhushan Babu said.
"Twenty-three mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany that will be deployed in AFMS hospitals catering to the COVID-19 patients."
According to the defense ministry each plant has a capacity to produce 40 litres of oxygen per minute and 2,400 litres an hour.
"At this rate, it can cater to 20-25 patients round the clock. The advantage of these plants is that they are easily portable. These oxygen generating plants are expected to arrive in India within a week," the ministry said.
India on Friday reported the world's biggest-ever daily surge with 332,730 new cases and 2,263 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Reports said this is the fastest rise in cases and deaths any country has suffered until now since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
India is presently witnessing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
In wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across India have been reporting a shortage of oxygen supply and urged the federal government to replenish their stocks.