Punjab: Only 30% of oxygen plants installed during Covid functional

The data showed that districts such as Sirsa, Rewari, Panipat, Palwal, Kaithal, Jind, Hansi, Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani do not have even a single Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plant installed

Of the 79 oxygen plants installed at civil hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic, only 23 are functional, the Haryana government informed the assembly on Thursday.

Centralised tender floated for operationalising O2 plants, says health minister. (HT File)

While replying to an unstarred question on the first day of the ongoing monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha, Mullana Congress MLA Pooja Chaudhary sought district-wise details of the number of government hospitals where oxygen plants were installed for bedside oxygen supply during the pandemic and how many of them are currently functional.

Regarding the non-operational plants, she asked for the reasons and also sought to know when they would be made operational.

In her reply, health minister Arti Rao said 79 such plants were installed in government hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic through PM CARES, CSR and other initiatives for bedside oxygen supply. “Presently, 23 oxygen plants are in working condition, while 56 are non-functional due to mechanical/technical/spare-parts issues, non-standardised service costs and exorbitant repair estimates submitted by the vendor,” she said.

“A centralised tender has been floated for the operationalisation of oxygen plants, which will be finalised in due course,” Rao informed.

The data showed that districts such as Sirsa, Rewari, Panipat, Palwal, Kaithal, Jind, Hansi, Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani do not have even a single Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plant installed.