On Sunday, April 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 551 dedicated pressure swing Adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen generation plants will be set up inside public health facilities across the country to boost availability of the life-saving gas amid its shortage in several states battling the COVID-19 surge.
Prime Minister Office released the circular about allocation of funds of PM Cares Fund.
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 has also directed that these plants should be made functional soon. He said that these plants will serve as a major boost to oxygen availability at the district level.
Plan of establishment of these dedicated plants will be done in identified Government hospitals in district headquarters in various States/UTs. The procurement will be done through Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Earlier this year, The PM CARES Fund 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.
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.
In the last 24 hours, India reported 3,469,691 new COVID-19 cases and 2,17,113 patients got discharge, while 2,767 people died of this deadly virus, and reached the milestone of highest single day deaths. Total active cases in India is now around 26.82 lakhs. The total death toll in India reached to 1,92,311.
