Inline with his direction of exploring innovative ways to ramp up supply andavailability of Oxygen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired ameeting to review the usage of gaseous oxygen.
PrimeMinister Modi tweeted, "Took stock of the usage of gaseous oxygen producedby industry, for medical purposes, with adjacent temporary hospitals."
Manyindustries like steel plants, refineries with petrochemical units, industriesusing rich combustion process and power plants have oxygen plants which producegaseous oxygen which can be tapped for medical use.
Thestrategy being used is to identify industrial units which produce gaseousoxygen of requisite purity, shortlist those which are closer to cities or denseareas or demand centres and establish temporary Covid care centres withoxygenated beds near that source.
Apilot for five such facilities had already been initiated and there is goodprogress on this. This is being accomplished through Public Sector Units orprivate industries operating the plant and co-ordination of centre and stategovernments.
Itis expected that around 10,000 oxygenated beds can be made available in a shortperiod of time by making temporary hospitals near such plants.
Stategovernments are being encouraged to set up more such facilities with oxygenatedbeds to deal with the pandemic.
ThePrime Minister also reviewed progress on setting up of PSA plants.
Whenthe Prime Minister was informed that around 1,500 PSA plants are in the processof being set up through contribution of PM CARES, PSUs and others, Modidirected officials to ensure speedy completion of these plants.
PrincipalSecretary to PM, Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary Road Transportand Highways and other senior officials participated in the meeting.
Themeeting was held at a time when there is hue and cry across the country due toshortage of oxygen-- a life-saving gas.