PM Modi permits procurement of 1 lakh portable oxygen concentrators from PM Cares Fund

PM Modi on April 28, 2021, permitted the procurement of 1 lakh portable oxygen concentrators from the PM CARES Fund.

In addition to the previously sanctioned 713 Pressure Swing Absorption- PSA plants under the fund, 500 latest PSA oxygen plants have also been allowed for the procurement.

Prime Minister Modi via a Tweet informed that 1 lakh portable oxygen concentrators will be procured, 500 more Pressure Swing Absorption Plants have been sanctioned from PM-CARES Fund. He added that this will improve the access to oxygen, particularly in district HQs and Tier-2 cities.

1 lakh portable oxygen concentrators will be procured, 500 more PSA oxygen plants sanctioned from PM-CARES. This will improve access to oxygen, specially in district HQs and Tier-2 cities. https://t.co/oURX74RYt1

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2021

The decision to procuring more oxygen concentrators was taken at a high-level meeting. It was chaired by PM Modi to discuss the methods needed to improve the supply of Liquid Medical Oxygen for the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

Significance:

The establishment of PSA plants and the procurement of portable oxygen concentrators will greatly help in increasing the supply of oxygen where the demand is high. It will be addressing the current logistical challenges in transporting the oxygen from plants to the hospitals where the demand is high.

Key Highlights:

•  Prime Minister has instructed that the oxygen concentrators must be procured at the earliest and must be provided to the states that are facing high demand.

•  The Pressure Swing Absorption Plants will augment the supply of LMO at the hospitals in district headquarters and tier 2 cities.

•  The newly procured 500 PSA oxygen plants will be established with the transfer of the indigenous technology. It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to the domestic manufacturers.

Background:

As India is facing the highest surge in COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic, the hospitals in various states have been facing a shortage of oxygen.

The Indian Government has also been importing oxygen generation equipment and concentrators from various countries in order to meet the ever-growing need for medical oxygen.