Amid the rising demand for oxygen in various hospitals and Covid care centres due to the surge in the number of infections in the State, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday urged his Cabinet colleague and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to help setting up of 19 more Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) medical oxygen plants in 15 districts of Odisha urgently.
In a letter to the Health Minister, Pradhan said “These are required in addition to 21 PSA plants being set up across various districts of Odisha.” These plants were proposed to be set up in Odisha from PM Cares funds.
The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has taken up the responsibility to set up seven such plants in the State while seven others are in the process of installation by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
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Similarly, the Central government will establish seven other plants in the State, Pradhan said.
As the Covid cases are increasing fast to all regions in the State, more districts need Central support in regard to the installation of oxygen plants.
“In this context, I request your personal intervention in setting up of additional 19 PSA medical oxygen plants in 15 districts as proposed by the State Government,” the letter read.
Out of the 15 proposed plants, two units need to be set up each at Balasore, Ganjam, Bolangir, Mayurbhanj while one each would be set up in Cuttack, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghapur, Kendrapara, Khordha, Koraput, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur, and Sonepur.
“The setting up of these plants on a war-footing will go a long way in supporting the Covid-19 treatment of patients across Odisha, Pradhan stated.
The Minister also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Health for extending all support to Odisha in Covid-19 management and preparedness.
Notably, the Prime Minister had earlier declared setting up of 551 dedicated PSA medical oxygen plants in public health facilities across the country from PM Cares Fund.
The DRDO has initiated a massive drive under which it has decided to set up 500 medical oxygen plants with the help of its indigenously developed technology in the country within three months. Out of these, seven will be set up in Odisha. Construction of the plants has already started in Boudh and Cuttack, sources said.