PM-CARES Fund Allocates Rs 201.58 Crore For Installation Of 162 Medical Oxygen Generation Plants Across The Country

The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation (PM-CARES) Fund Trust has allocated Rs 201.68 crore to install 162 additional dedicated Pressure Swing Adsoprtion (PSA) Medical Oxygen generation plants of 154.19 MT capacity in public health facilities in the country, said an official release on Tuesday (5 January) .

The Central Medical Supply Store (CMSS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health, will be in charge of the procurement.

According to the release, the total project cost includes Rs 137.33 crore towards supply and commissioning of the plants and Management fee of Central Medical Supply Store (CMSS) and around Rs 64.25 crore towards Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract (CAMC).

The plants will have a warranty period for three years and the project includes the CAMC for the next seven years. Deliberations were held with the concerned states and union territories to decide upon the government hospitals in which these plants will be installed.

The mechanism, according to the release, will further strengthen public health system and enable long term systematic augmentation of medical oxygen availability in a cost effective manner.

Adequate and uninterrupted supply of oxygen is an essential pre-requisite for managing moderate and severe cases of COVID -19, in addition to various other medical conditions where this need arises, the release said.

Installation of PSA Oxygen Concentrator Plants in public health facilities is an important step to reduce the health facility’s dependence on the system of store and supply and to enable these facilities to have their own oxygen generation capacity, it added.