VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh faces an uphill task to transport liquid medical oxygen to filling stations and hospitals here from other states due to shortage of cryogenic oxygen tankers.
Daily demand for medical oxygen to treat the Coronavirus patients in the state ranges from 340tonnes to 360tonnes. At times, this goes up to 390 tonnes. AP is maintaining the stocks of nearly 480 tonnes of medical oxygen a day. This means the quantum that is available is sufficient for the time being.
However, as the number of Coronavirus patients is rising rapidly, with many of them requiring medical oxygen, the available stocks may get exhausted.
The Centre has allotted liquid medical oxygen to AP, some 150tonnes, from Angul in Odisha, 68tonnes from Bellary in Karnataka, 10tonnes from Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, 100tonnes from RINL, Visakhapatnam, 60tonnes from Liquinox in Srikakulam and 40tonnes from Ellen Berries in Visakhapatnam.
Though the total daily quantum of medical oxygen…