In a massive step towards achieving a better healthcare system in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation 35 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants across 35 states and Union Territories, built using funds from PM CARES.
Speaking at the event, the PM said that in normal days, India used to produce 900 metric tons of liquid medical oxygen a day but as the demand increased, India increased the production of medical oxygen by more than 10 times.
“This was an unimaginable goal for any country in the world, but India achieved it,” he added.
‘Every district across India covered by PSA Oxygen plants’
The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic during April-May this year left the healthcare infrastructure of the country scrambling and exposed the lacuna of poor medical preparedness in the face of a calamity.
Lakhs of people struggled and/or died due to lack of oxygen in the country when the mutated strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus ravaged through India, and across the world, as the severity of the variants left thousands gasping for breath.
“In the last few months, over 1,100 oxygen plants established under PM-CARES have been made functional. Today, every district across the country now is covered by PSA Oxygen plants established under PM-CARES,” the PM said.
With the inauguration of the new plants, India now has 4,000 new O2 plants.
The event is being held at AIIMS Rishikesh in Uttarakhand with Governor Gurmit Singh, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in attendance.
‘The extent of health facilities developed in a short span of time shows our capability’
Speaking at the event to celebrate his 20 years in political leadership, the PM said that from one testing lab to the establishment of a network of 3,000 testing labs and from the import of masks and kits to its manufacturing, India is quickly moving forward as an exporter.
The extent of health facilities developed by India in a short span of time to combat COVID-19 shows its capabilities, he added.
He also said that his government is not waiting for citizens to bring their problems but is going to them and providing houses, electricity, clean drinking water, tap water and gas connections.
Till now, a total of 1,224 PSA oxygen plants have been funded under PM CARES across the country, of which more than 1,100 plants have been commissioned, providing an output of over 1,750 MT of oxygen per day.
Operations and maintenance of these plants have been ensured by training more than 7,000 personnel. They come with an embedded Internet of Things (IoT) device for real-time monitoring of their functioning and performance through a consolidated web portal.
