Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, requesting the Union Health Minister's personal intervention in the matter, Pradhan said that the PSA plants are required in addition to the 21 plants being set up in various districts throughout the state.

Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday wrote to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, requesting the allocation of 19 more Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen plants, in 15 districts of Odisha.

“The matter is the most urgent and timely action will help save precious lives of people living in different parts of Odisha,” said Pradhan.

"In view of the widespread impact of Covid-19 second wave in Odisha, more districts need to be covered and supported further. In this context, I request your personal intervention in setting up additional 19 PSA medical oxygen plants in 15 districts as proposed by the Odisha government," Pradhan said in his letter.

Out of the 19 proposed plants, two units need to be set up each at Balasore, Ganjam, Bolangir, and Mayurbhanj districts while one each would be set up in Cuttack, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghapur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Koraput, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur, and Sonepur districts.

According to experts, the ratio of oxygen requirements for Covid-19 positive patients increased many folds during the second wave compared to the first wave, which was felt during the massive demand for oxygen in Delhi and other states.

Fearing a similar situation in Odisha, Pradhan stated that while India is fighting the second wave of Covid-19, PM Narendra Modi has called on state governments to take strong measures to combat it and has promised to provide all possible assistance to the states.

In addition to the 162 PSA plants previously allocated, the PM granted emergency approval last month for the installation of 551 dedicated PSA medical oxygen plants in public health facilities across the country from the PMCares Fund.

“As per the decision, 21 PSA plants are being set up across various districts of Odisha. 7 are being set up by DRDO, 7 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and 7 by Government of India,” wrote Pradhan.

“The setting up of these plants on a war footing will go a long way in supporting the Covid-19 treatment of patients across Odisha,” Pradhan added.

“As the number of cases across the country increases exponentially, the PM has bolstered the ongoing coordinated effort to combat the pandemic by launching several new initiatives and making critical decisions to provide all possible assistance to states, including Odisha, in combating the virus's spread,” wrote Pradhan.

He wrote that India is engaged in one of its most difficult battles against the second wave of Covid-19, the invisible enemy.

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