New Delhi: Minister of State (MoS) for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar has said in the Lok Sabha on Friday that the government is establishing 1,563 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants across the country. In a written response to a question raised in the Lower House of Parliament, Pawar said, "As many as 1.563 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants are being established by the Government of India." The minister added that around 1,225 PSA oxygen plants out of the total have been installed and commissioned under PM-CARES fund in every district of the country.
Pawar added that additionally, 281 PSA oxygen plants are being set up by PSUs of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Railways and 57 PSA plants received under foreign grants. "An amount of Rs 24.46 crore has been released in the year 2020-21 and an amount of Rs 368.04 crore has been released in the year 2021-22 (till date) to vendors for setting up of PSA plants under PM-CARES fund," the minister told the Lok Sabha.
The news comes amidst Omicron scare as Central and state authorities have been holding emergency meetings and putting in place facilities to deal with the third wave, if it breaks out. The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had seen a severe dearth of Oxygen for patients, many of whom succumbed to the disease due to lack of it. At the time, the government had mobilised PSUs and had tasked them with setting up PSA oxygen plants across the country.
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