Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat virtually inaugurated a 500x2 LPM oxygen generation plant at the base hospital in Almora medical college and a 216 LPM plant in the Almora district hospital on Sunday. These are the first oxygen plants to be set up in the mountainous part of Kumaon region.

Rawat said that these plants will benefit patients in Almora and nearby districts. He said that after medical colleges and district hospitals, the government is facilitating oxygen plants at the level of community health centres.

The CM reiterated that preparations should be completed for the third wave of Covid-19, adding that the state government is undertaking all possible efforts to control the pandemic. He further said that the testing average in Uttarakhand is higher than in other states.

Rawat said that the majority of those aged above 45 years have been vaccinated in Uttarakhand.

The State is receiving vaccines from time to time from the Centre. Efforts are also being undertaken to import vaccines from other nations to speed up vaccination of those aged above 18 years.

Efforts are also being undertaken to start academic session in the Almora medical college, he added.

Almora MP Ajay Tamta said that the setting up of oxygen plants in Almora will also benefit people in Bageshwar, Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts.

State minister and minister in-charge of Covid works in Almora district, Rekha Arya said that various steps are being taken to improve health services. An oxygen plant will be ready soon in Someshwar, she added.

Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker Raghunath Singh Chauhan and Almora district magistrate Nitin Bhadauriya also spoke on the occasion.