Samsung Electronics provided 60 oxygen concentrators to Uttar Pradesh and half of them to Gautam Buddh Nagar district on Thursday, as the South Korean company joined efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, officials said. The help comes as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of Samsung, which has its biggest mobile phone-manufacturing factory at Gautam Buddh Nagar, Noida, and is one of the leading investors in Uttar Pradesh, the officials said. Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Suhas L Y appreciated and thanked Samsung for the effort and hoped that the company would continue to help in the future during the pandemic.
Coronavirus patients in Gautam Buddh Nagar have been claiming shortage of medical oxygen with their families running pillar to post for procuring oxygen cylinders and concentrators due to hiked demand and black marketing amid the deadly second wave of coronavirus. District Information Officer Rakesh Chauhan said the electronics giant on Thursday delivered 30 oxygen concentrators to the Gautam Buddh Nagar chief medical officer. “These oxygen concentrators are the first lot of the COVID-19 aid that Samsung has committed to the state of Uttar Pradesh under its CSR initiative. They have been airlifted from South Korea,” Chauhan said in a statement. “It will soon be followed by a batch of oxygen cylinders and Low Dead Space (LDS) syringes, which will help save wastage of vaccine in vials.
Twenty per cent more people can be vaccinated with the same number of vials when LDS syringes are used,” he added. The official said another lot of 30 oxygen concentrators was being delivered to the Lucknow administration on Thursday by Samsung. Samsung India Vice-President and CSR Head Partha Ghosh said, “Samsung stands with the people of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and the rest of India and will continue to support the community during these difficult times.” In addition, Samsung has also contributed Rs 7.5 crore for COVID-19 relief measures to the UP State Disaster Management Fund. It has committed to donate a total of 1,900 oxygen cylinders, 60 oxygen concentrators and 6.5 lakh LDS syringes to the state, according to the statement.
