Inspired by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and coordinated by Brahmavihari Swami and a team of donors and volunteers of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, the second shipment of liquid oxygen has been supplied to hospitals in Rajkot and Bhuj to help easethe oxygen shortage facing the country.
With the generous support of donors in the UAE, two cryogenic tanks with a total of 44 metric tons (MT) of liquid oxygen (LOX) were dispatched from Abu Dhabi on 1 June2021 and reached Mundra Port in Gujarat, India, on 3 June. From there, the special vacuum insulated tanks were taken by road to their supply destinations. Each custom-conditioned tank safely carries liquid oxygen at -185°C (-300°F) in accordance with international safety standards. Each tank provides sufficient oxygen to fill over 5,000 cylinders that will help to save many lives.
This shipment is the second of many shipments due to arrive in India as part of a massive supply chain arranged by BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi, that will provide 440 MT of liquid oxygen to India on a monthly basis. The first shipment of two tankers had provided liquid oxygen to hospitals in Morbi, Jamnagar, Patan, Palanpur and Ahmedabad.
The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is working closely and on a real-time basis with the Government of India and the State Government of Gujarat to identify locations to provide this oxygen free of charge.
On 4 June, one 22 MT Liquid Oxygen tanker was donated to Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay (PDU) Civil Hospital in Rajkot.
In Rajkot, at the PDU Hospital, the LOX tank was greeted by dignitaries and officials, including Additional Collector of Rajkot Shri Parimal Pandya, Additional Collector of Rajkot Shri Jayesh Patel, Dean of PDU Medical College Dr Mukesh Samani, Mayor of Rajkot Shri Pradip Dav, In-charge of BJP in Surendranagar district Shri Nitinbhai Bhardwaj and Medical Superintendent of PDU Hospital Dr. R.S. Trivedi.
Brahmatirth Swami and Apurvamuni Swami of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Rajkot,and the dignitaries performed pujan of the tank. The dignitaries present expressed their gratitude to BAPS and the donors for the timely donation of oxygen.
Additional Collector of Rajkot, Shri Parimal Pandya: “There is critical need of oxygen in the second wave of Covid in Rajkot. The PDU Civil Hospital is currently treating 800 Covid patients and this 22 MT of Liquid Oxygen that we have received from BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi will save countless lives. On behalf of the Rajkot City administration, I would like to thank BAPS and its donors for thinking about us and extending this timely help.”
Additional Collector of Rajkot, Shri Jayesh Patel: “As the nodal officer for oxygen in Rajkot, I have seen first hand the kind of crisis related to oxygen supply that we have faced in these Covid times. The 22 MT of liquid oxygen provided by BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is a life saver and will help benefit countless patients. I am thankful to all saints, donors and well wishers of BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi for this critical support to Rajkot.”
Dean of PDU Medical College, Dr. Mukesh Samani: “In the Covid crisis, when the entire nation is facing anoxygen crisis, we have been getting continuous support from BAPS in terms of oxygen concentrators, cylinders and food material. Today, we are happy to receive 22 MT of liquid oxygen from BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi. On behalf of PDU Hospital and College, I would like to deeply thank the BAPS organisation worldwide and the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi for this support which will be very beneficial to us and our patients.”
Mayor of Rajkot, Shri Pradip Dav: “BAPS has always been at the forefront of relief work and today they have sent 22 MT of liquid oxygen to Rajkot all the way from Abu Dhabi. They have been sending oxygen to the remotest rural areas as well. On behalf of the people of Rajkot, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for BAPS who thought of us and sent us this critical help from more than 2,000 km away. I am sure this oxygen will benefit many patients and help them get back to their normal life at the earliest.”
Medical Superintendent of PDU Hospital, Dr. R.S. Trivedi: “As the medical superintendent of the hospital, I have seen BAPS provide oxygen concentrators, food, water and even manpower through its volunteers in the first and second wave. The 22 MT of liquid oxygen that we have got from BAPS Abu Dhabi in this time of crisis is like a boon and a blessing for us. I express my heartfelt appreciation to BAPS and its saints for the generous selfless service that they have provided to our hospital.”