Shawdesh desk:

India has gifted two mobile medical oxygen plants to Bangladesh to support the country’s fight against COVID-19.

The Indian Navy Indian Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS SAVITRI, carrying the Mobile Oxygen Plants (MOP) arrived in Chattogram on Thursday.

These MOPs were developed and manufactured by DRDO in India and each plant has a capacity of generating 960 Litres of Oxygen per minute.

One MOP is to be set up at the Dhaka Medical College & Hospital and the other plant is for the Bangladesh Navy, to be set up at BNS Patenga, said the High Commission of India (HCI).

These fully equipped, state-of-the-art MOPs generate medical oxygen on-site in a highly cost-effective manner.

In addition to direct installation at hospitals, they can also be used for refilling oxygen cylinders as well.

The MOPs generate medical breathing standard oxygen using Zeolite (Molecular Sieve) technology with Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) principle for medical applications.

This visit by INS Savitri is also the second port call by Indian Navy vessels to Bangladesh in 2021, when India and Bangladesh are jointly commemorating the Golden Jubilee of the 1971 Liberation War.

Earlier in March 2021, two Indian Navy ships had made a historic maiden visit to Mongla to jointly celebrate Mujib Borsho.

INS Savitri is an Offshore Patrol Vessel designed to patrol India’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone and has been built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Vishakhapatnam.

As part of the Eastern Fleet of India, INS Savitri, undertakes fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of the sea lanes of communication. The ship is commanded by Cdr N Roby Singh.

While in Bangladesh, the ship’s company would be interacting with their Bangladesh counterparts; on its journey out, Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy ships will be engaging in Passage Exercise in the Bay of Bengal on Friday.

Regular port calls by Bangladesh Navy and Indian Navy ships to each other’s countries is an ongoing activity and helps strengthen the spirit of fraternal friendship and close cooperation.