Centre approves funds to set up 551 PSA oxygen generation plants in govt hospitals

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.

These dedicated plants will be established in identified government hospitals in district headquarters in various States/UTs. The procurement will be done through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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.

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, a government statement said.

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, it added.

Applauding the same, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted: "A big decision to curb the oxygen crisis and help the people in need. I thank PM @narendramodi Ji for allocating funds to install 551 PSA Oxygen Generation Plants in public health facilities across the country through PM CARES."

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also thanked the PM for the decision and posted: "Grateful to PM @narendramodi  for sanctioning funds from PM CARES for setting up PSA Oxygen Generation Plants in 551 public health facilities across India. These plants will be set up in Govt hospitals in district headquarters as soon as possible."

As the massive spike in cases continues in India, several states are facing a severe oxygen crisis including the national capital.

On Friday, 25 people died at Jaipur Golden Hospital due to low oxygen pressure.

India registered a new record in Covid single-day spike and deaths with 3.49 lakh fresh infections and 2,767 fatalities in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The fresh infections have taken the country's caseload to 1.69 crores and the total death count to 1,92,311.