Biswabrata Goswami
KRISHNAGAR, 10 MAY: A total of 70 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plants will be set up in healthcare facilities in West Bengal using the PM-CARES fund. The move is a bid to boost medical oxygen production amid a severe shortage of the resource being used to treat Covid-19 patients across the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed that these plants should be made functional “as soon as possible” and that they will “majorly boost” oxygen availability, the PMO statement added.
On 25 April, the Centre approved setting up of 551 dedicated pressure swing adsorption oxygen generation plants at government-run district hospitals, with instructions to make them operational as soon as possible. Expenses of the 551 oxygen generation plants will be borne by the PM-CARES fund, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
In West Bengal, the Center has provided 70 facilities where a total of 70 PSA would be installed by DRDO on an urgent basis. The Center has engaged NHAI for the necessary civil and electrical works and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)/HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd (HITES) for installation of the PSA Oxygen Generators.
At many sites across the state, the construction works have already been initiated by the NHAI engineers and the production after installation of the plants will start functioning within 15 days.
In a letter (No-S-12035/16/2021-Procl/Addl.PSA Plants-Pt(1) dated 3 May, 2021, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India addressing to the Addl. Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary (Health) of the States as per list, it has been mentioned that a list of 400 sites to be done by DRDO and 181 sites to be done through HITES.
Mahua Banerjee, Managing Director of West Bengal Medical Services Corporation Ltd and Commissioner, H&FW Dept, on 5 May issued a letter (Memo No-HFW-41014(99)/88/2020-WBMSCL Sec Dept. of H&FW/1609 dated 5/5/2021) addressing to the heads of all medical colleges and hospitals with subject heading that urgent requirement of necessary Civil and Electrical works for installation of PSA Onsite Oxygen Generators at 70 Health Facilities throughout the state of West Bengal under DRDO scheme, Govt of India.
In the letter, the WBMSCL has also attached the list of 70 sites where 5 plants will set up in Bankura, 3 in Birbhum, 3 in Paschim Bardhaman, 4 in Purba Bardhaman, 3 in Purulia, 4 in Hooghly, 9 in North 24 Parganas, 2 in Nadia (Saktinagar district hospital, Krishnagar and Netaji Subhash Sanatorium, Kalyani), 5 in Purba Medinipur, 6 in Paschim Medinipur, 1 in Howrah, 7 in South 24 Parganas, 2 in Kolkata, 3 in Jhargram, 2 in Coochbehar, 1 in Alipurduar, 1 in Darjeeling, 3 in Jalpaiguri, 4 in Murshidabad, 1 in Malda and 1 in dakshin Dinajpur.
In a statement, the DRDO said the medical oxygen plant (MOP) technology was developed to supply oxygen on board the light combat aircraft (LCA) by the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL). DEBEL is a unit under the DRDO. The same technology will be used to fight the current oxygen crisis facing covid-19 patients in the country.
The Medical Oxygen Plant (MOP) is designed for a capacity of 1,000 litres per minute (LPM). The system can cater to 190 patients at a flow rate of 5 LPM and charge 195 cylinders per day, the DRDO statement said. “The MOP technology is capable of generating oxygen with 93±3% concentration, which can be directly supplied to hospital beds or can be used to fill medical oxygen cylinders. It utilizes pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technique and molecular sieve (zeolite) technology to generate oxygen directly from atmospheric air, the statement said.
“Hospitals will be able to generate on site medical oxygen, in a cost-effective manner with this oxygen plant rather than depending upon sourcing it from other places,” it said. The plant complies with international standards such as ISO 1008, European, US and Indian Pharmacopeia.
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