VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Pradesh government is setting up 140 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants at various hospitals across the state in its preparation for the impending Covid-19 third wave at a cost of about 300 crore.
These plants are designed for a combined flow rate of 1.07 lakh litres per minute.
While 104 plants are expected to be commissioned by the end of August, the remaining plants will be ready by September 15.
The Andhra Pradesh government on its own is installing 92 plants, whereas the Union government will fund 28 plants. The remaining 20 plants will be procured with the donations received from various quarters, funds devised under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme, etc.
According to the health officials, these plants are being set up at the teaching, district and community hospitals having a bed capacity of 50 and above. These plants are proposed to cater to 100% ICU beds and about 50% non-ICU beds. For instance, eight hospitals in Visakhapatnam are getting three 500 LPM plants and eight 1,000 LPM plants. The works on the plants at the hospitals in Aganampudi, Araku, and Paderu are likely to be completed by August 25. Similarly, the plant(s) at the CSR Block, King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam will be ready by September 15.
Meanwhile, as many as 6,150 extra beds would be added at 146 hospitals in preparation for the third wave, including 1,550 ICU beds and 4,601 oxygen beds. Works have already been completed at 20 hospitals. The remaining works will be finished by September 10.
Apart from the oxygen plants, the health department has procured 23,000 oxygen concentrators and 27,000 D-type cylinders.
Oxygen supply, storage and movement became crucial components of the Covid-19 management during the peak of the ongoing second wave in April, May and June in Andhra Pradesh. Even though hypoxia-related complaints had surfaced even during the first wave, the second wave management completely revolved around the then scarce liquid medical oxygen.
The consumption had peaked to 640 metric tonnes a day in the second wave from the first wave’s peak of 260 tonnes. The state had to set up an oxygen war room in every district apart from the central one in the state capital after instances of technical glitches.
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