The Bokaro Steel Plant is working to install a 4.5km oxygen pipeline from its production unit to Bokaro General Hospital and a temporary Covid facility, making it the first city in the state to have such an amenity.

The direct supply will help the BGH management to augment oxygen beds where more than 200 Covid patients are being treated.

At present, Bokaro has 3,677 active Covid cases. BSL has also begun the process of installing an additional 50 beds at a temporary Covid facility at its HRD Centre situated in between the oxygen production plant and BGH.

BSL spokesperson, Manikant Dhan said, “The installation process of the pipeline is being done on war footing and the work will be completed in this week. The pipeline of gaseous oxygen being installed directly from plant to BGH is 4.5km long, it will go via HRD centre supplying medical oxygen on 50 beds there. The centre will be ready in the next ten days with all the facilities for the treatment of patients.”

BSL, a unit of SAIL, has supplied around 6634 MT medical oxygen to eight states through road, train and air in the past one month.

In its efforts to overcome the shortage of healthcare workers, the BSL management has issued an offer letter of reinstatement to 21 doctors and 30 nurses on contract. Ten additional non-invasive ventilators have been called for the treatment of patients at Bokaro General Hospital, which will be available soon.

Efforts are also on to maintain the availability of vaporizers and other necessary equipment and essential medicines in the hospital, said Dhan.