Amit Shah inaugurates oxygen plant in Gandhinagar, says 11 more plants to come up

The Union Home Minister said the PSA (pressure swing absorption) oxygen plant, set up at the 200-bed Covid-19 hospital at Kolavada, could suck oxygen from the air, concentrate it and provide it for patients. “As I speak, this plant has started functioning… There are 66 patients at this hospital and all of them are on oxygen support,” the BJP leader said. Large oxygen cylinders have also been kept as back-up at the Covid-designated hospital, he added.

Shah, who was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel at the event, thanked the state government for setting up an oxygen supply facility in the region that falls under his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The three leaders held a meeting on the hospital premises after the event.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PM CARES fund has started setting up similar oxygen plants across the nation. Gujarat has received permission for setting up 11 such plants, which will be commissioned shortly. After these plants are commissioned, the supply of oxygen in Gujarat will be strengthened and we will be able to provide oxygen to smaller states,” he said.

Expressing confidence in the leadership of Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel, Shah said, “Gujarat being an industrial state, the production of oxygen is more when compared to other states. After segregating oxygen for its own needs, Gujarat has set a good example by trying to send extra oxygen to many other states.”

The Union Minister said the state government will set up a 1200-bed Covid Care Centre on the helipad grounds in Gandhinagar soon. “Of the total beds, 600 will be ICU beds. The entire set up is being done jointly by the DRDO and the Tata Sons,” he added.

On Friday, Shah had reviewed preparations of a 900-bed Dhanvantari Covid Care hospital set up jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Gujarat University and the state government at the Gujarat University Convention and Exhibition Centre in Ahmedabad.