Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of 7 liquid medical oxygen plants and 4 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) systems in seven districts of the state.
Patnaik also inaugurated an additional health facility, dengue & diarrhea ward and a blood classification unit at Balasore with the help of the WHO, a center for the treatment of lung disease in Cuttack and an RT-PCR testing laboratory in Nabarangpur. An amount of Rs 29.41 crore will be spent on these projects.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the demand for medical oxygen in the second wave of COVID-19 had increased significantly. "At the moment, there is no problem with the supply of oxygen in Odisha and we have saved many lives by supplying oxygen to 17 states."
The chief minister said "the system from the production of oxygen to the provision of services to patients is very "complex". It requires a lot of equipment, logistics, constant monitoring and other arrangements, he added.
"We have strengthened our system by bringing oxygen cylinders to Odisha from different parts of the country and even from China," he said.
Highlighting the unpredictable pace of the coronavirus infection, Patnaik said, "We need to remain prepared from now; we are strengthening our health infrastructure, health workers and training systems.
The Chief Minister stated that liquid medical oxygen (LMO) plants are being set up in all the major hospitals in the state.
( With inputs from ANI )
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