Amid the increase in oxygen demand due to unabated surge in COVID-19 cases in the state, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday inaugurated pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants at Dr Radhakrishanan Government Medical College Hamirpur and Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College Chamba virtually from Shimla.
“The plant at Chamba has a capacity of 400 PLM and Hamirpur plant has a capacity of 300 PLM,†the Chief Minister said.
He said that both these oxygen plants would ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply to the patients admitted in both these medical colleges.
The State Government has taken up the matter of increasing the oxygen quota for the state from the existing 15 MT to 30 MT with the Union Government so as to meet the demand of the state. The Central Government has already sanctioned 13 oxygen plants for the state, he said while adding that out of the seven plants sanctioned earlier, six plants have been established at Dharamshala, Mandi, Shimla, Chamba, Nahan, Hamirpur and the one at Tanda would be completed soon.
Thakur said that six oxygen plants sanctioned for the State recently by the Union Government would be set up at Civil Hospital Palampur in Kangra district, Zonal Hospital Mandi, Civil Hospital Rohru and Civil Hospital Khaneri in Shimla district, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Government Medical College and Hospital Nahan in Sirmaur district and Regional Hospital Solan.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government has also taken up the matter of providing 5000 D-Type and 3000 B-Type oxygen cylinders so as to meet the ever increasing demand of oxygen in the state and to maintain a smooth supply chain of the oxygen.
He further said that the PSA plant at Hamirpur would ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply to the 30-bedded fully dedicated Covid ward established in Dr RKGMC Hamirpur at a cost of about Rs 1 crore. This ward has been set up in a record time of three months and is supported by a 300 LPM PSA plant to provide uninterrupted oxygen supply to the patient care area.
He said that an oxygen facility has been provided to all the thirty COVID beds and twenty ventilators have been set up for the sick patients. The ward will have six ICU beds, four HDU beds, one OT (operation theatre), Labour room and twenty oxygen supported beds to provide intensive care services to COVID patients round the clock, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Anurag Singh Thakur appreciated the steps taken by the State Government to ensure smooth supply of oxygen to COVID-19 patients in the state.
He said that the Centre is providing all possible help to the state to fight this pandemic. He also urged the people of the state to strictly follow the SOPs and guidelines of the State Government issued from time to time.
