Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur virtually inaugurated 300 LPM capacity PSA Oxygen plant in Dr. Y.S. Parmar Government Medical College Nahan in Sirmour district from Shimla today.
While speaking on the occasion the Chief Minister said that the Government has taken several initiatives to combat the COVID pandemic in the State. He said that to provide better health care to COVID patients and to meet the oxygen requirements of COVID-19 patients, the State Government has set up this PSA Plant at Medical College Nahan. He said that machinery for this plant was provided by the Government of India and the gas manifold plant, oxygen pipeline, civil and electrical works were carried out by the State Government by spending about Rs. 58 lakh. He said that a total of Rs. 1.25 crore has been spent on this plant.
Jai Ram Thakur said that this plant would produce oxygen at the rate of 300 liters per minute (LPM) and has been connected to the oxygen pipeline of the 25-beded COVID isolation ward. This plant would provide oxygen to acute patients requiring ventilator support and further reduce dependence on oxygen cylinders, he added.
Chief Minister said that till now oxygen cylinders had to be replaced after every two hours and with this plant, the dependence on labour and transportation would decrease significantly. He said that this would provide uninterrupted oxygen supply to the needy patients.
Jai Ram Thakur said that the second wave of the Corona pandemic was more fatal, therefore it required more precautions. He said that the State Government has decided that the marriages in the State would be held in the house or courts only and no one would be allowed to hire marriage palaces, tents, caters and DJ etc.
Chief Minister said that the State Government was committed to increase the testing of patients so that the patients could be provided treatment immediately. He said that a Refrigerated Centrifuged and Real Time PCR Machine worth Rs. 32 lakh provided to the medical college would help in fast testing of the COVID-19 patients.
Chief Minister announced that another 1000 LPM capacity PSA oxygen plant would be installed in Nahan Medical College to meet out the demand of oxygen.
Health Minister Dr. Rajiv Saizal said that several PSA plants have been established at various places in the State and more would be set up soon. He said that this would ensure adequate supply of oxygen to the patients admitted in the Medical College. He said that this was due to the effective coordination of the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur with the Central Government.
MP and State BJP President Suresh Kashyap said that the State was effectively tackling the corona pandemic in the State under the able leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. He also urged the Chief Minister to increase the testing in the State so as to ensure that the virus could be stopped from spreading further.
MLA Nahan Dr. Rajiv Bindal thanked the Chief Minister for dedicating PSA Plant for Nahan area which would go a long way in providing better health care facilities to the COVID-19 patients. He said that the Medical College once fully functional would help in providing better health care facilities to the people of the district in particular and of the region in general.
Deputy Commissioner Sirmour Dr. R.K. Pruthi presented vote of thanks.
MPP and Power Minister Sukh Ram Chaudhary, MLA Reena Kashyap, Chairperson MC Nahan Shyama Devi, Mandal BJP President Pratap Thakur joined the event virtually whereas, Political Advisor to the Chief Minister Trilok Jamwal, Secretary Health Amitabh Awasthi and Advisor to the Chief Minister Dr. R.N. Batta were present with the Chief Minister at Shimla.