Kathmandu, July 19: The oxygen plant brought for the Tribhuvan University Teaching hospital, Bir and Norvic Hospitals in Tatopani has been blocked due to the road near the Liping Bridge in Sindhupalchowk. According to the Importer BidhManagement, the container carrying the oxygen plant could not be brought to Kathmandu as the road near the Liping Bridge, which is about 200 meters below the Miteri (Friendship) Bridge, was washed away.

As the second wave of the Corona virus epidemic intensified, oxygen plants were purchased from China due to lack of oxygen in major hospitals in the capital.

The importer Bidh management has requested the Ministry of Health and Population to facilitate the import of oxygen from China through air lifting after the road was blocked in the Tatopani area due to road blockage.

Bidha Management has written a letter to the Ministry of Health asking it to provide Army MI-17 helicopters for airlifting. “There is a possibility of airlifting from the Liping Customs Yard,” said VK Bhandari, director of Bidh management. “It has been requested to facilitate airlifting up to a distance of about 500 meters from there.”

Director Bhandari said that the ministry has been requested to facilitate the army helicopters as small capacity helicopters cannot carry the materials. Chief of covid-19 Unified Hospital, chief Jageshwor Gautam, informed that discussions are underway with the concerned authorities to bring oxygen plant which was blocked due to road blockage.

The transporter Silk Transport has requested the Bidh management for air lifting as the oxygen plant could not be taken to Kathmandu by road immediately as the liping bridge was damaged. “We have suggested airlifting,” said Ramesh Sherpa, chairman of Silk Group. Eight units with a capacity of 50 cubic liters per hour and three units of 15 cubic meters per hour and two units of 30 cubic meters per hour have been stopped in the hot Tatopani area. The capacity of the oxygen plant brought for TUTH, Bir and Norvic Hospitals is 50 cubic liters per hour.

The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has started providing oxygen plants at Nabil Bank Limited and Teaching Hospital at Central Covid Unified Hospital. The importers have stated that the plants have been brought for hospitals in Surkhet and Dhangadhi and other places with the help of Chaudhary Foundation. The plants brought for the big hospital are blocked in the middle of the road.