New Delhi, Jan 5 (FN Bureau) The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund Trust is allocating Rs.201.58 crores for installation of additional 162 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities in the country. The total project cost includes Rs.137.33 crores towards supply and commissioning of the plants and Management fee of Central Medical Supply Store (CMSS) and around Rs.64.25 crores towards Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract.
The procurement will be done by the Central Medical Supply Store (CMSS) – an autonomous body of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. A total of 162 plants with total capacity of 154.19 MT are to be installed in 32 States/UTs. The Govt. hospitals where these plants are to be installed have been identified in consultation with the States/UTs concerned. The plants have a warranty for first 3 years. For the next 7 years, the project includes CAMC (Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract). Routine O&M is to be done by the hospitals/States.
After the CAMC period, entire O&M will be borne by the hospitals/States. This mechanism will further strengthen public health system and enable long term systematic augmentation of medical oxygen availability in a cost effective manner. Adequate and uninterrupted supply of oxygen is an essential pre-requisite for managing moderate and severe cases of COVID -19, in addition to various other medical conditions where this need arises. Installation of PSA Oxygen Concentrator Plants in public health facilities is an important step to reduce the health facility’s dependence on the system of store and supply and to enable these facilities to have their own oxygen generation capacity. This will not only increase the total oxygen availability pool of the States/UTs, but also facilitate providing of oxygen support in timely manner to patients in these public health facilities.