Sambalpur: Amid an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases, the demand of oxygen has gone up many folds in the state as well as in the country to save the lives of patients.
An oxygen plant proposed by the government on the premises of VIMSAR in Sambalpur in 2017 has been pushed under red tape.
Now a plan was taken forward to hasten the process to set up the plant so that the growing demand for oxygen at hospitals will be met, a report said.
According to the report, when the state government had proposed the plant in 2017, the district administration and the VIMSAR authorities had immediately initiated the process and apprised the state government of the ground work status.
However, the plan was shelved for three years. Meanwhile, the government has directed the district administration to set up an oxygen plant in the district to meet oxygen requirement as the second wave of Covid-19 has been sweeping the state, playing havoc in different parts.
Now, the district administration has revived the plan of the oxygen plant earlier proposed on the VIMSAR premises.
Collector Shubham Saxena visited the VIMSAR and held talks with VIMSAR Director Lalit Meher in this regard. The VIMSAR has necessary infrastructure for an oxygen plant.
The authorities have proposed to the district administration to start working on the oxygen plant. The district administration and the VIMSAR authorities expect that the oxygen plant will be ready in four to six months.
The oxygen plant is expected to come handy for patients facing problems in oxygen availability in emergency. The report said, an oxygen refilling plant is already functional in Sambalpur while two others are in Jharsuguda.
The three plants can together refill 2400 mega cylinders per day. The three refilling plants cater to the needs of people in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Deogarh, Bolangir, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Boudh and Nuapada.
As per a rough estimate, VIMSAR alone requires 800 mega oxygen cylinders per day. However, the daily requirement of the cylinders will go up in coming day after the third Covid hospital is set up in Sambalpur.
Besides, the Covid Hospital functioning at the district headquarters hospital requires 400 to 500 oxygen cylinders every day. These three refilling plants also cater to the needs of several private hospitals in western Odisha.
It is said that the rate at which Covid-19 has been surging in western Odisha, execution of the plant in VIMSAR assumes importance. In coming days, the demand for oxygen is likely to mount several times.
The VIMSAR Director said all necessary facilities are on VIMSAR premises. “The Collector has been apprised of the need for the plant. It can take a call on the matter,” he added.
PNN