'Oxygen Express' trains: Will they be a lifeline for COVID patients?

The COVID situation in the country has taken on a turn for the worse especially with most hospitals reporting a dire shortage of oxygen. India recorded 3.46 lakh new infections on April 24th. This surge has put tremendous pressure on hospitals and doctors. What's even worse is that hospitals have now started turning patients away requesting them to seek treatment somewhere else.
As India faces rising COVID-19 cases and an acute shortage of oxygen cylinders, Indian Railways has stepped in to carry liquid oxygen from steel plants to cities where it's needed the most. Two trains are on their way to supply oxygen.

First 'Oxygen Express'

The first 'Oxygen Express' carrying liquid medical oxygen departed for Maharashtra from Visakhapatnam on Thursday (April, 22). The Oxygen Express train carried 100 tonnes of medical oxygen from Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) plant in Visakhapatnam.
After nearly 50 hours' journey, it reached Visakhapatnam at about 1 am on April 22. Nearly 75 hours after its departure from Kalamboli, the train carrying seven tankers loaded with oxygen has started its return journey.

The Ro-Ro (roll-on-roll-off) trains

Road tankers are placed on flat wagons which can easily roll on and off the train. A green corridor has been created for the movement of such trains. Zonal railways have been given instructions to create ramps in order to receive these trains and fill the tankers. This kind of movement has never been carried out before by the Railways.

Oxygen crisis in India

Amid spiralling coronavirus cases in the country, the demand for medical oxygen has gone through the roof. The country has reported an unprecedented number of deaths due to oxygen shortage. In fact, hospitals which had run out of the oxygen are requesting COVID patients to seek treatment elsewhere as they lack medical oxygen. It's been four days since hospitals have been crying for oxygen.

Transporting essentials, oxygen

The Indian railways have been transporting essentials amid the COVID pandemic. And now, it is hoping to make a difference with these special trains.

IAF, DRDO come to the rescue

The DRDO has developed SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation) supplemental Oxygen Delivery System to make up for the massive shortage of oxygen gas cylinders across the country. This is an automatic system developed by the Defence Bio-Engineering and Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL) of DRDO in Bengaluru. IAF (Indian Air Force) also airlifted empty oxygen tankers to be filled for supply .

Second 'Oxygen Express '

The acute shortage of oxygen supply due to the rising Covid-19 cases has pushed the states to seek assistance from the Railways for delivering Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) via 'Oxygen Express' trains. Uttar Pradesh is the third state to demand the facility after Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Defence Ministry to airlift 23 oxygen plants from Germany

The Defence Ministry on Friday said it would airlift 23 mobile oxygen generation plants from Germany to augment the supply of medical oxygen amidst a shortage in the country because of the rising COVID-19 cases.
The oxygen will be used at the COVID-19 hospitals being run by Armed Forces Medical Service (AFMS) across the country.