Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday virtually dedicated the newly set up oxygen plants in 10 hospitals of the State. These oxygen plants set up at a cost of about Rs 6.5 crore have the capacity to produce 5500 LPM (litres per minute) of oxygen.
These plants have been set up at Ashta and Rehti in Sehore district, Vidisha and Sironj in Vidisha district, Khargone and Barwah in Khargone district, Khurai in Sagar district, besides Katni, Tikamgarh and Narsinghpur.
As on March 2020, there was no oxygen generation plant in any government hospital in the state. As many as 190 oxygen plants are being set up in the state. Of these, 68 plants have already been set up and 65 plants have been made functional so far. All the remaining plants will become functional by the month of September.
Chouhan has said that efforts to achieve self-reliance in the field of oxygen in the state are like a boon. We have understood the importance of oxygen in the time of Covid.
In the second wave, oxygen meant life and delay in getting oxygen meant the end of life. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi assesses the present as well as the future.
Due to his efforts, other states including Madhya Pradesh got oxygen on time, as a result of which many lives could be saved. Efforts are being made to make Madhya Pradesh self-sufficient in oxygen. Arranging the tankers was a big problem. This was possible with the blessings of the Prime Minister.
The Chief Minister said that we are all committed to ensure that there is no third wave of Covid. And if it comes, we are fully aware and ready for it. Chouhan said that we will never be able to forget that time when neither nor you slept. Oxygen was arranged immediately from Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh for the state. All including ministers, MPs, MLAs and public representatives extended their full cooperation.
Chouhan said that 88 plants are being set up in the state through PM Care Fund, 13 from Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Corporate Social Responsibility and local efforts. A total of 221 metric tonnes of medical oxygen will be produced from all these plants.
The oxygen produced can be made available directly to the patients from the oxygen generation plants installed in the hospitals.