COVID crisis: PM Modi announces 551 oxygen plants from PM CARES, one for each district

With India reeling under COVID-19 wave, PM Narendra Modi Sunday announced one oxygen plant for each district in India to ease the ongoing crisis.

“Oxygen plants in every district to ensure adequate oxygen availability… An important decision that will boost oxygen availability to hospitals and help people across the nation,” he said after the government announced the establishment of 551 pressure swing adsorption plants from PM CARES funds.

“In line with the prime minister’s direction of boosting availability of oxygen to hospitals, the PM CARES Fund has given in-principle approval for allocation of funds for installation of 551 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities in the country. PM Modi has directed that these plants should be made functional as soon as possible. He said that these plants will serve as a major boost to oxygen availability at the district level,” a government statement said.

The dedicated plants will be established in identified government hospitals in district headquarters in various states and UTs.

The procurement will be done through Ministry of Health.

The PM CARES Fund had earlier this year allocated Rs 201.58 crores for installation of additional 162 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities in the country.

Of these just about 33 have yet been installed.

The government said the basic aim behind establishing PSA Oxygen Generation Plants at government hospitals in the district headquarters is to further strengthen the public health system and ensure that each of these hospitals has a captive oxygen generation facility.

“Such an in-house captive oxygen generation facility would address the day-to-day medical oxygen needs of these hospitals and the district. In addition, the liquid medical oxygen (LMO) would serve as a ‘top up’ to the captive oxygen generation. Such a system will go a long way in ensuring that government hospitals in the districts do not face sudden disruption of oxygen supplies and have access to adequate uninterrupted oxygen supply to manage the COVID-19 patients and other patients needing such support,” the government said.