551 PSA Oxygen Generation Plants to be set up in government hospitals through PM CARES Fund

New Delhi, April 25, 2021

The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund has given in-principle approval for allocation of founds for the installation of 551 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities in the country.

The decision is in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's to boost the availability of oxygen to hospitals, an official press release said.

The release said the Prime Minister had directed that these plants should be made functional as soon as possible. He said that these plants would serve as a major boost to oxygen availability at the district level.

These dedicated plants will be established in identified Government hospitals in district headquarters in various States and Union Territories (UTs). The procurement will be done through the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The PM CARES Fund had earlier this year allocated Rs. 201.58 crore for installation of an additional 162 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities in the country

The basic aim behind establishing PSA Oxygen Generation Plants at Government hospitals in the district headquarters is to further strengthen the public health system and ensure that each of these hospitals has a captive oxygen generation facility. Such an in-house captive oxygen generation facility would address the day to day medical oxygen needs of these hospitals and the district. In addition, the liquid medical oxygen (LMO) would serve as a “top up” to the captive oxygen generation.

"Such a system will go a long way in ensuring that Government hospitals in the districts do not face sudden disruption of oxygen supplies and have access to adequate uninterrupted oxygen supply to manage the COVID-19 patients and other patients needing such support," the release added.

The PM CARES Fund Trust, formed on March 27 last year, is headed by the Prime Minister (ex-officio). Other ex-officio members of the trust are the Defence Minister, the Home Minister and the Finance Minister.

NNN