Bhubaneswar: Amidst the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country where patients are succumbing to the virus due to shortage of medical oxygen, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) Angul unit has come forward  to lend a helping hand.

The company said it has a stock of over 500 tonnes of liquid oxygen at its Angul plant and is waiting for the users to take them on first come first serve basis.

The steel major has assured Angul district administration of supplying medical oxygen for treatment of COVID-19 patients. In a letter, the JSPL Unit Head assured the district Collector of the company's full support to address the emergency situation of COVID-19 pandemic. Responding to this gesture, the district Collector thanked the company for the same.

Earlier, JSPL Chairman Naveen Jindal had announced that the company will supply 50 to 100 tonnes of medical oxygen from its Odisha and Chhattisgarh Units every day.

“We can compromise steel production for a while to supply oxygen to the Government to save precious lives. The company had supplied 725 tonnes of liquid oxygen in Odisha last year to save lives from the virus," said an official statement issued by the company.