Indore: The airlifting of oxygen tankers to Jamnagar by the Indian Air Force (IAF) has proved to be a life-saver for many patients who were literally gasping for oxygen that is in short supply in the city. Thanks to the IAF, 30 MT of oxygen has been made available to the city within 24 hours, instead of the usual 45 hours, had it been brought via road.
Following coordination between the Ministry of Defence and the state government, airlifting of empty oxygen tankers started from city's Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport on Friday. One empty oxygen tanker was taken from the city to Jamnagar to ferry liquid oxygen from the Reliance plant. On Saturday also, a C-17 transport aircraft of IAF landed here at 2.15 pm and left for Jamnagar at 4.30 pm with one empty oxygen tanker.
Rohan Saxena, executive director of AKVN Indore, says, "Due to IAF's help a number of lives have been saved as the oxygen reached the city in around half the usual time. It takes 45 hours for an oxygen tanker to reach Jamnagar and return to Indore, but now it is taking only 24 hours."
Saxena said that as per the earlier schedule two empty tankers were to be airlifted on Friday and Saturday, but due to some technical problems only one tanker could be airlifted each day. But there are plans to airlift two tankers on Sunday.
