Govt aims generating 5K tonnes of medical oxygen at hospitals

NEW DELHI: The government is aiming at creating a captive production capacity of nearly 5,000 tonnes of medical oxygen per day at hospitals in the next 6-7 months. While the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants being set up by the Centre will have the capacity to generate around 2,500 tonnes per day, the ones being set up by the state government will create similar production capacity.
Sources said both the Central and state government agencies are coordinating in this area to ensure that the country doesn’t face the crisis of medical oxygen as it was during the peak of the second wave of Covid-19.
Officials said availability of medical oxygen at hospitals across the country will address the transportation and logistics difficulties relating to medical oxygen. According to Road transport and highway secretary Giridhar Aramane, who is heading the Empowered Group on Oxygen, they are hopeful that the total capacity after installation of these PSA plants by Centre will go up to around 12,500 tonnes per day, which was barely around 6,000 tonnes last year.
The necessity of expediting the setting up of PSA oxygen plants was felt when the Central and state governments had to source the medical oxygen from plants that are located more than 1,000 km from hospitals.
“With less number of cryogenic tankers, it’s almost impossible to get the medical oxygen from one corner of the country to another. If you can get it at the hospital itself or from a nearby plant, there is nothing like it. A lot of effort had to be taken to deal with problems at source, tracking of vehicles and managing the affairs at hospitals,” said a government source.