Chief minister Hemant Soren flagged off four tankers, each carrying 58 tonne liquid medical oxygen, to Delhi on Tuesday to help the national capital tide over a serious crisis that has led to a staggering number of deaths among critical Covid-19 patients in various hospitals.

The tankers, flagged off from Ranchi in an online function, left for Delhi from the Linde India gas plant at Jamshedpur. Health minister Banna Gupta, local MLAs and officials of the district administration were present at the plant site as the tankers rolled out.

“We received an SoS letter from Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal recently seeking oxygen support. Thereafter, we wrote to the Centre for formal permission and today (Tuesday) we are finally sending tankers to Delhi. In this time of crisis, we are glad that Jharkhand is doing its bit to help other states to tackle the growing pandemic in the country,” Hemant said.

Jharkhand, he said, has always been at the forefront of the country’s economic development by virtue of the heavy presence of mines and minerals. “Now, oxygen produced here will also help others battling Covid-19. Many Jharkhandis live in Delhi, and it is everyone’s collective responsibility to rise above geographical and political lines to fight this crisis,” he said.

Hemant has clarified that Jharkhand produces surplus oxygen and the crisis in the state was due to issues of logistics and supply. Amid the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the state, the JMM-Congress alliance government has already stepped up efforts to ensure seamless supply of oxygen to hospitals.

Chief minister Hemant Soren at his office in Ranchi witnessing the rollout of tankers on Tuesday. Telegraph Picture

Hemant revealed that the state government was also working out plans to set up oxygen plants or refilling stations in the districts on priority.

Notably, Linde India has recently entered into a partnership with Tata Group for securing 24 cryogenic containers for carrying medical oxygen from international sources. Officials of Linde India, who were present on the occasion, explained that industries used oxygen for combustion, oxidation, cutting and chemical reactions. To make industrial oxygen suitable for administering to humans, it needs to be free from impurities.

Among the others present at the function were deputy commissioner of East Singhbhum Suraj Kumar and local MLAs Sanjeev Sardar and Mangal Kalindi.

The chief minister interacted with the deputy commissioner and the two MLAs, seeking their suggestions on tackling the Covid pandemic. Kalindi stressed on the need for more ventilators and beds for Covid patients in hospitals in Jugsalai, his constituency.

"Several Covid patients are succumbing in the absence of ventilators," he said.

Hemant appealed to people to stay vigilant and follow Covid safety norms. "Although the state government is trying hard to upgrade medical infrastructure to deal with the surging cases, everyone must continue taking extreme precautions so that it doesn't reach a stage when he/she needs to be put on ventilators.”