The ENC also agreed to move 25 cryogenic oxygen containers from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
The Eastern Naval Command (ENC), based in Visakhapatnam, provided the Andhra Pradesh government with technical assistance in maintaining oxygen systems in its hospitals across the state, sending four teams by air to the districts when the situation warrants.
According to an official press release, the ENC teams will bring their expertise in preventing oxygen leaks, performing emergency repairs and providing other support services as oxygen became scarcer and hospitals struggled to grapple with the technical details of the care.
The ENC also agreed to move 25 cryogenic oxygen containers from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Consultations on this were held on Friday by MT Krishna Babu, the node officer of the State Covid control room, with top ENC officials in Visakhapatnam.
The ENC agreed to provide vehicles for transporting liquid oxygen containers by road, as well as oxygen concentrators, 200-D cylinders and other equipment required by hospitals.
In addition, the ENC agreed to reserve 60 beds in its hospital in Visakhapatnam for the treatment of Covid patients and to provide 10 oxygen beds there.
In separate discussions, the CMD of the Visakhapatnam steelworks (VSP) informed Mr Krishna Babu that the existing oxygen plant, which consists of two units, was producing 100 tons (MT) with a total capacity of 850 tons due to certain problems, and that the contract agency had rejected it.
It is hoped that the oxygen system will be fully functional in six months.
The VSP agreed to set up an oxygen-equipped Covid care center with 50 beds in Gurajada Kalakshetram in the port city. In addition, the VSP will provide 150 beds by May 15 and a total of 600 beds by the end of June.