COVID-19: Centre Sanctioned 1,563 PSA Oxygen Generation Plants, 1,463 Commissioned So Far, Says MoS Health

The Central government has sanctioned 1,563 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plants of which 1,463 have been commissioned, the Parliament was told on Friday (10 December).

These commissioned plants include 1,225 PSA plants which have been installed and commissioned under PMCARES Fund in every district of the country.

"Additionally, 338 PSA Plants are set up by PSUs of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Railways etc. till date," Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

The states have also been asked to install PSA plants in public health facilities and facilitate installation of PSA plants in private health facilities, the minister said.

The Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa and has been declared a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has spread to many countries around the world

Pawar further informed that the Empowered Group constituted by the government on Emergency Management Plan and Strategy had recommended that for calculation of oxygen demand, the required rates of oxygen flow in non-ICU and ICU setting are 10 and 24 liters per minute per day per case, respectively.

Based on the above, these plants can support more than 1,00,000 beds per day, the minister said.

The PSA Plants under PMCARES have been supplied and commissioned by the Central Government. States provided for space, 3-phase power supply, DG set for uninterrupted power supply and availability of Medical Gas Pipeline system (MGPS) for interconnection with PSA plant, Pawar informed.