** Czech, Ireland and the US fly in life-saving devices to Bengaluru amid surge in COVID cases

According to a senior Customs official, a total of 66 ventilators from Ireland valued at Rs 3.37 crore and 8 ventilators from the US valued at Rs 0.21 crore were cleared.

A total of 218 respiratory devices including high purity regulators and mouthpieces from Czech Republic a totally valued at Rs 0.58 crore were also cleared.

** DRDO to aid hospitals generate oxygen on site

The Medical Oxygen Plant (MOP) technology, developed by DRDO for on-board oxygen generation in the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas by DRDO’s Bengaluru-based Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), will now be employed in the fight against the current crisis of oxygen for Covid-19 patients.

The same technology generates oxygen for fighter pilots flying the Tejas at high altitudes.