COVID Crisis: 162 PSA Plants Sanctioned To Augment Oxygen Supply In Hospitals

New Delhi: With India recording a staggering 2.6 lakh-plus fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the health infrastructure is spiralling out of control. There is a shortage of beds for coronavirus patients, and even oxygen is in short supply.

Since oxygen is an important element in the treatment of coronavirus, the Centre has been forced to take steps to address the critical issue. It has sanctioned installation of 162 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants in public health facilities across all states.

PSA plants manufacture oxygen to help hospitals become self-sufficient besides reducing the burden on the national grid for supply of medical oxygen.

The Health Ministry tweeted on Sunday about the decision to set up 162 PSA oxygen plants.

“These will augment medical oxygen capacity by 154.19 MT,” the ministry said.

Of the 162 PSA plants, 33 have been installed — 5 in Madhya Pradesh, 4 in Himachal Pradesh, 3 each in Chandigarh, Gujarat and Uttarakhand; 2 each in Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana; 1 each in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

By the end of April, 59 more PSA plants will be installed, and 80 more by May-end.

In addition to these, states have requested for more than 100 such additional plants, which are also being sanctioned, it said.

“The entire cost of 162 PSA oxygen plants, amounting to Rs 201.58 crore, has been borne by the central government. This also includes 7-year maintenance cost to start from 4th year onwards after three years of warranty,” the ministry stated.