Amidst the pandemic, the Maharashtra government has been taking due efforts in order to ensure that the state does not suffer from oxygen shortage.
Moreover, state district hospitals, medical colleges and private hospitals have been installing a system that can absorb oxygen from the air and further give it to the ailing patients suffering from COVID-19. In addition, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope informed that about 38 PSA plants have been set up in the state, generating about 53 metric tonnes of oxygen a day.
The PSA plant employs a technology that absorbs nitrogen from ambient air to concentrate oxygen for supply to hospitals. The oxygen thus generated can be supplied straight to the site of use either through a dedicated pipeline or compressed to fill cylinders.
Even though the state is producing 1,250 metric tonnes of oxygen per day but the demand has increased by 1,750 metric tonnes. As a result, the state government has decided to initiate the PSA plant on the basis of technology that absorbs oxygen from the air and gives it to patients so that oxygen can be produced locally while importing oxygen from other states to replenish it.
According to sources, so far, 150 PSA plants have been ordered by the District Collector. However, there are plans to set up 350 such plants in the state. Tope further stated that the target is to produce 500 metric tons of oxygen. Meanwhile, PSA plants have been set up in district hospitals at Washim, Satara, Hingoli, Ahmednagar, Bhandara, Alibag, Ratnagiri, Buldhana, Osmanabad and Sindhudurg.
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