Sri Lanka on Tuesday deployed a naval ship to India to avoid delay in fetching oxygen, urgently needed to meet the shortage of supply in hospitals, following the rapid surge of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Sri Lanka has recorded over 3.58 lakh coronavirus cases, while the death toll has touched 6,263.

Sri Lanka Naval Ship (SLNS) Shakthi left the eastern port of Trincomalee in the morning and is heading for the Port of Chennai, India, the Lankan Navy said.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered the Navy to bring the oxygen supplies from India in order to minimise the delays, it said.

Last week, the then health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told reporters that the government will order medical grade oxygen from India to meet the current needs with the rapid increase of Covid-19 cases.