1,594 PSA plants being established across India, will reduce dependency on oxygen cylinders: Union Health Ministry

Amid the shortage of medical oxygen across the country, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said that as many as 1,594 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants are being established across the country to meet the increased demand for oxygen due to rising coronavirus cases.

During a briefing on the COVID-19, Additional Secretary (Health) Arti Ahuja said that 162 PSA plants have been sanctioned, out of which 71 have already been installed and 109 more will be installed by the end of May.

"1,594 PSA plants are being established across the country. This will reduce our dependency on oxygen cylinders," the additional secretary said.

The Union Health Ministry, in the last two days, reviewed with eight states--Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Odisha and Uttarakhand-- where the trajectory of the cases is increasing.

"The emphasis has to continue on Test, track and treat and containment measures remain the same," Ahuja said.

The MHA has also issued an advisory to the states to provide an uninterrupted power supply to the states.

"Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Haryana and Bihar have a high caseload," the additional secretary for health said.

Ahuja further said that Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Jharkhand are the states and UTs where cases were increasing earlier but are now plateauing gradually.

"Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Odisha and Uttarakhand are the states where trends of cases are increasing. Other states with an increasing trend in daily new cases are Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland," she added.

( With inputs from ANI )