• Friday, March 29, 2024

News

More than 75 oxygen plants to come up in Gujarat to survive a possible third Covid wave

This picture taken on May 12, 2021 shows workers at a Medical oxygen plant situated on the outskirts of Ahmedabad amid the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Images)

By: Pramod Kumar

THE western state of Gujarat will set up more than 75 oxygen plants to produce additional 300 MT as a preparatory measure against a possible third wave of Covid-19, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel has said.

Currently, 800 to 900 MT of medical oxygen is available at any time in the state, he said.

“The state government has started working on the scenario when there is a sharp increase in the number of Covid-19 patients requiring medical oxygen in the third wave of the pandemic,” Patel said.

“In the worst situation during the second wave, Gujarat required over 1,200 MT oxygen. Our first target is to produce 300 MT of oxygen for us to become self-reliant even when the number of daily patients go past the 14,000-mark.”

The government has formed a committee to see to it that there is no shortage of medical oxygen even during the worst pandemic situation.

During the second Covid wave, the government had to press hard to meet the demand.

He added: “We have already started working on setting up oxygen plants for the purpose and identified more than 75 locations for large oxygen plants. They are at different stages of development.”

According to Patel, priority will be given to large government hospitals, district-level hospitals, community health centres, large private hospitals, charitable-trust run hospitals, while setting up oxygen plants.

These facilities will refill oxygen cylinders to be supplied to the patients getting home treatment, he said.

The required funds for the initiative would be raised from MP-MLA grants, government fund, donations of private companies, and PM Care Fund, Patel revealed.

Related Stories

Loading