PM-Cares Allocates Funds To Install 500 Oxygen Plants In India In 3 Months
The PM-Cares has allocated funds for the installation of 500 medical oxygen plants across the country within three months, considering the rising demand for the life-saving gas in the wake of the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The order for the installation of the medical oxygen plants was placed on April 24, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Tuesday.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in a high-level meeting on April 23 had taken the decision to install five PSA oxygen plants with the help of DRDO at five hospitals in and around the national capital — AIIMS Trauma Centre, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML), Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, and AIIMS Jhajjar, Haryana.
Within a week, the first two plants were airlifted from the manufacturing unit Trident Pneumatics Pvt Ltd, Coimbatore, a technology partner of DRDO, which reached Delhi on Tuesday.
The installation work has commenced at two sites — AIIMS Delhi and RML Hospital — on a war footing, said the ministry.
Govt Provided 17 Cr Vax To States/Uts Free Of Cost: Centre
The union government on Wednesday said that it has so far provided more than 17.02 crore vaccine doses to States and Union Territories free of cost, out of which more than 94.47 lakh doses are still available with them to be administered.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, “The government is at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in collaboration with the States and UTs through a ‘whole of government’ approach.”
It said that in addition to test, track, treat and Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, vaccination forms an integral component of the five point strategy of Government of India for containment and management of the pandemic.
It said that implementation of the liberalised and accelerated phase three strategy of Covid-19 vaccination has started from May 1 and registration for the new eligible population groups has commenced since April 28.
Potential beneficiaries can either register directly on the CoWIN portal or through the Aarogya Setu app.
“The government has so far provided nearly 17.02 crore vaccine doses (17,02,42,410) to States/UTs free of cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 16,07,94,796 doses (as per data available at 8 am today),” it said.
“More than 94.47 lakh COVID Vaccine doses (94,47,614) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered,” the MoHFW said.
It also said that more than 36 lakh (36,37,030) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the States/UTs within the next three days.
2 Oxygen Plants Funded By PM-CARES Set Up At AIIMS, RML
In a significant development, two medical oxygen plants funded by PM-CARES have been set up at AIIMS and RML Hospital in the national capital within a week.
Union Health Ministry said, “Carried out on a war footing, the two plants were swiftly airlifted from Coimbatore and installed yesterday. Both the plants will start supplying oxygen by today evening.”
Union Minister of States for Health, Ashwini Kumar Choubey tweeted, “Installation of two high flow medical oxygen plants funded by PM-CARES at AIIMS, New Delhi and RML Hospital completed. Oxygen Supply to Covid patients to begin from today.”
In order to effectively address the high surge of Covid-19 cases in the country, PM-CARES has allocated funds for the installation of 500 Medical Oxygen Plants across the country. These plants are planned to be set up within three months.
Five high flow medical oxygen plants will be installed at AIIMS Trauma Centre, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML), Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, and AIIMS, Jhajjar, Haryana.
