PM Modi to dedicate 35 oxygen plants funded by PM CARES to nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 35 new Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants funded by the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation or PM CARES initiative in a function at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh in Uttarakhand on Thursday. These 35 PSA oxygen plants are being set up across the 35 states and Union Territories.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that 1224 such oxygen plants have been financed by PM CARES all throughout the country and 1,100 of these plants have already been commissioned, providing an output of over 1,750 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen per day.

PM Modi tweeted to say that oxygen plants were ‘vital healthcare infrastructure’ and added, “I would be in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand tomorrow, 7th October. 35 PSA Oxygen Plants across various States and UTs would be dedicated to the nation. This is vital healthcare infrastructure for larger public benefit.”

During the second wave of Covid-19, India faced a debilitating shortage of medical oxygen with more than 10,000 metric tonnes (MT) required daily due to the exponential surge in infections and deaths. Since these demands could not be met, the government banned the industrial usage of oxygen, airlifted oxygen from those industrial plants and ran oxygen supply trains.

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However, a political blame game ensued over government’s claim that no state had reported even a single death caused by the shortage of oxygen during the ongoing second wave. on Monday, the Supreme Court refused to order a nationwide investigation into the shortage of medical oxygen and said that while it may be convenient for some to criticise the government, the top court will not conduct a “legal post mortem” of past events to “demoralise authorities.”