45 PSA oxygen plants commissioned in govt hospitals in Delhi: Health dept

Forty-five PSA oxygen plants of 55.46 metric tonnes capacity have been commissioned in government hospitals in the national capital as part of preparations for a possible third wave of COVID-19, health officials have told the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

According to the officials, around 160 PSA oxygen generation plants with a total capacity of 148.11 metric tonnes are being installed at various government and private hospitals in the city.

While 66 plants are being installed in Delhi government hospitals, 10 are being set up in central government hospitals and 84 in private healthcare facilities.

Forty-five PSA plants with a capacity of 55.46 MT have already been commissioned. Eighteen such plants of 21.06 MT capacity will be commissioned by August 15, health department officials said during a meeting of the DDMA on Friday.

Ten PSA plants of 9.29 MT capacity will be commissioned by August 31 and three plants of 5.67 MT capacity will be ready by October 15, they said.

Four liquid medical oxygen (LMO) storage tanks of 221 MT capacity have already been installed in the city.

Another such tank of 50 MT capacity has reached the GTB hospital and will be installed by August 10, the officials said.

A tender has been floated for installation of three more LMO storage tanks of 150 MT capacity. Two cryogenic bottling plants of 13.4 MT capacity will be commissioned by September 15. These will be sufficient for refilling 1,400 cylinders per day.

On Tuesday, the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet approved a policy under which subsidies and incentives will be provided to the private sector to set up oxygen production plants and storage facilities to help improve the availability of the life-saving gas in the capital.

Delhi battled an acute shortage of medical oxygen in April and May as hospitals in the capital sent out SOS calls to the authorities to replenish their dwindling stocks. Several private healthcare facilities even requested the government to move out their patients.

On April 23, around 21 critically ill COVID-19 patients had died at the Jaipur Golden Hospital in northwest Delhi due to oxygen shortage. Batra Hospital in Tughlakabad Institutional Area lost eight lives due to oxygen shortage on May 1.