E-Paper
Bihar to ramp up oxygen generation, storage by August 31
Each of the 10 state-run medical colleges will have at least one Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plant depending on their requirement
Bihar is expected to generate 117 metric tonnes of medical oxygen daily by August 31 and ramp up its storage capacity to 310-kilo litre in anticipation of a possible third Covid-19 wave, said state health minister Mangal Pandey.
Each of the 10 state-run medical colleges will have at least one Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plant depending on their requirement.
“As many as 34 of the 122 PSA oxygen plants have been made operational,” said Pratyaya Amrit, additional chief secretary, health. “Sixteen others have reached the installation site while another 27 are on the way.’
Sixty-two oxygen plants were being set up under the PM CARES Fund, nine by the Union petroleum ministry and the remaining 51 by the state government, said Pandey.
Cryogenic liquid medical oxygen tanks were also being set up for storage purposes at the 10 state-run medical colleges.
The state health minister has said the availability of oxygen was the biggest challenge during the second wave of the pandemic even as he claimed that no deaths were reported due to lack of oxygen in the state.
He said the daily requirement of medical oxygen in the state went up 14 times from 16 metric tonnes during the first week of April to 232 MT in the next 20-25 days.
