COVID-19: Andhra Pradesh CM virtually launches 144 PSA plants

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday virtually launched 144 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants with a capacity of 93,600 litres per minute (LPM).

As per a statement issued by the Chief Minister's office, the second wave of COVID-19 was a ferocious one, the lack of availability of oxygen in the nation had cost citizens dearly.

"In light of this situation and in anticipation of the third wave, the Andhra Pradesh Government has proactively set up PSA plants, cryogenic oxygen containers, LMO tanks, and oxygen pipelines across the state," read the statement.

This initiative has been taken up by the state government to aid in battling out the third wave and to ensure that no citizen is denied the medical care they deserve.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the government has been taking all measures in containing Coronavirus ahead of the third wave and as part of it, 144 oxygen plants have been set up in government hospitals at a cost of Rs 426 crore. "Besides establishing 144 oxygen plants in government hospitals, the government is also providing a 30 per cent subsidy to private hospitals with over 100-bed capacity to set up an oxygen plant. These steps have been taken to achieve self-sufficiency of oxygen, as the entire country faced a severe shortage of oxygen during the second wave," he stated.

Further, the Chief Minister mentioned that the state government had purchased 25 oxygen cryogenic ISO containers for transporting Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO), along with 74 LMO tanks. Oxygen pipelines were set up for 24,419 beds in various government hospitals at a cost of Rs 90 crore and Paediatric Care Units with 20 beds have been set up at 183 community health centres.

Recalling the initial strike of COVID-19, the Chief Minister said that 20 state-of-the-art VRDL labs have been set up in the state, increasing the testing capacity from zero to one lakh tests per day. With the possible threat from Omicron, a genome sequencing lab has been set up in Vijayawada, which is second in the country next to Kerala.

Regarding vaccination, 80 per cent of the citizens above 18 years have received two doses of vaccine and 82 per cent of teens between 15-18 years were administered with a single dose of vaccine in the state.

"Andhra Pradesh has been standing as a role model to other states in terms of effective Covid containment, where over 33 door-to-door surveys were conducted. Right from setting YSR Health Clinics at the village level, to bringing family doctor concept, the government is focusing on the development of the medical and health sector through Nadu-Nedu, construction of 16 new medical and nursing colleges, along with the recruitment of 39,000 staff," said the Chief Minister.

( With inputs from ANI )

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