Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for health infrastructure projects worth Rs 29.41 crore in seven districts on Wednesday.
Liquid medical oxygen plants and Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) Oxygen Generation plants will come up in seven districts.
This apart, Naveen inaugurated an additional health facility, dengue and diarrhoea wards, a blood classification unit at Balasore with assistance from WHO; a Centre of Excellence for Lung disease; and an RT-PCR test laboratory at Nabarangpur on the day.
Speaking on the occasion, Naveen said oxygen requirement in the state increased in the second wave of COVID-19. However, the state did not face any problem and apart from meeting its own requirement, Odisha sent oxygen to 17 states saving precious lives.
“Production, supply and distribution of oxygen to patients is a complicated process,” he said and added that the state government had even imported oxygen from China.
The state government has always been focusing on checking spike in coronavirus cases, Naveen said and added that as COVID is unpredictable the health infrastructure will be beneficial for tackling the pandemic situation.
The Chief Minister urged the people to celebrate Sabitri and Rajo by adhering to COVID guidelines.
Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, who joined from Jharsuguda, thanked the Chief Minister for district self sufficient in oxygen. Ministers Tukuni Sahu and Ashok Panda also hoped that the health infrastructure will put Odisha on a good pedestal.
The programme was attended by CM’s 5T Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary P K Mohapatra.
