Oxygen plant begins at Nahan hospital

Tribune News Service

Solan, May 15

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today virtually inaugurated a pressure swing absorption (PSA) plant at Dr YS Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan, from Shimla.

He said that the Central Government had provided the machinery while the state government spent Rs 58 lakh on the gas plant, oxygen pipeline, civil and electrical works.

He added that Rs 1.25 crore had been spent on the plant. A refrigerated centrifuged and real time PCR machine costing Rs 32 lakh provided to the medical college would help in the fast testing of Covid-19 patients. The commissioning of the plant was delayed for months as technicians of the company concerned were unable to spare time for its installation due to the surge in Covid cases in Maharashtra.

Thakur said another 1,000 LPM capacity PSA oxygen plant would be installed at the medical College to meet the rising demand of oxygen.

Deputy Commissioner, Sirmaur, RK Pruthi said that the plant would produce 300 litres of oxygen per minute and would specially facilitate patients on ventilator support in the 30-bed ICU at the medical college. “Efforts are afoot to set up another 1,000 litres per minute manufacturing plant in the district in view of the surging Covid cases and the increasing need of oxygen,” added Pruthi.

Dr Shayam Kaushik, Medical Superintendent, Dr YS Parmar medical college, said that the plant would reduce the refilling frequency of their oxygen bank to 11 to 12 hours while earlier eight cylinders had to be refilled every two hours. This would also help in reducing labour and transportation cost, besides making oxygen available to more patients.

“As many as 72 beds are available for Covid patients and we are endeavouring to enhance the bed capacity, as per the oxygen availability. A 16-cylinder capacity small oxygen manufacturing plant is feeding these beds. Besides, 140 D-type oxygen cylinders are also available in the college,” said Dr Kaushik.

The Union Ministry of Health had proposed six new plants in the state, including a 100 LPM capacity PSA oxygen manufacturing plant at Nahan, but only two are coming up at Mandi and Palampur districts.

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