Technology giants Google, Microsoft and Amazon have pledged support through various initiatives to help with the ongoing oxygen and medical equipment shortage in the country. While Google will provide Rs 135 crore in funding, Amazon will urgently airlift over 8,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore.

Sundar Pichai, CEO, Alphabet, tweeted: “Devastated...Google and Googlers are providing Rs 135 crore in funding to GiveIndia, Unicef for medical supplies.”

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, in a tweet said: “I am heartbroken by the current situation in India. I’m grateful the US government is mobilising to help. Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices.”

Meanwhile, Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani group, tweeted the company’s first shipment of four ISO cryogenic tanks with 80 tonnes of liquid oxygen was on its way from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Mundra.

Reliance Foundation has said its Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital will manage a 650-bed facility at the National Sports Club of India.

HPL offers Bengal oxygen support

Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL) can meet 40 per cent of Bengal’s requirement of medical oxygen, the company said on Monday.

The petrochemical complex of HPL, located at Haldia, operates a nitrogen plant which also produces 95 tonne per day of liquid oxygen as a by-product. The unit needs substantial quantities of gaseous nitrogen which is met by HPL’s captive nitrogen plant owned by Praxair and built on HPL’s land.

Therefore, HPL in the process of meeting its nitrogen requirement for its units, has been able to generate a substantial quantity of oxygen through Praxair and meet the urgent requirement of medical oxygen in the state.

This will include the creation of 100 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds that will be made operational in phases from May 15.