Srinagar, June 20: In a game changing step that will save precious lives during this pandemic and defeat COVID 19, Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency is setting up 30 Manifold Oxygen plants across the Union Territory.
This World Bank funded project of JKERA will equip Health department across the remote corners of Jammu and Kashmir with much needed Manifold oxygen plants to effectively deal with the COVID-19. These plants are being specially imported from United States and Europe and will be completely functional within next two to three months. This project will help provide oxygen access to more than a 1200 hospital beds in remote areas, away from the major hospitals, and thus play a critical role to save lives especially during this pandemic. The availability of this life saving oxygen to patients is a crucial preparation to fight against any new COVID 19 wave and will substantially help reduce the patient load that crowd the territory care hospitals.
Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Chief Executive Officer, JKERA who chaired a high level meeting to review the progress of work on the supply, installation and commissioning of these 30 Manifold oxygen plants said that the availability of this critical care equipment at the sub-district and community level hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir will be significant to scale down the deaths caused due to the COVID-19. He stressed upon the executing agencies to ensure the completion of the project within the set timeline.
During the meeting, CEO, JKERA was informed that work on all the (30) sites has already been started on war-footing with the close coordination of the concerned district authorities who are providing support to resolve issues like site clearance, shifting of utilities etc. This coordinated effort, he was told, is being carried out in a mission mode especially because the importance of availability of oxygen beds to patients at community health centre and sub district hospital level.
The PSA (Pressure Swing Absorption) based Manifold Oxygen Plants have been recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of the COVID-19 patients, who are suffering from acute respiratory stress and helps in saving their lives. The availability of these critical care equipment’s at the sub-district and community level hospitals will significantly scale down the deaths caused due to the COVID-19.
These Manifold Oxygen Plants with a capacity of 500- 250 LPMs (litres per minute) are an integrated critical health care facility. There will be 11 plants with 500 LPM capacity and 19 plants with 300 LPM capacity respectively. The project includes the construction of the building for housing of the Manifold Oxygen plant as per the prescribed specifications, mechanical components of main oxygen concentrator, air compressor, air receiver tanks, filtration system, air dryers, oxygen receiver tanks, bulk cylinders, oxygen regulating manual tanks, oxygen flowmeters, digital gas alarm, compressed air, Nitrous gas system which will be backed up with the 24X7 power supply with 125 KVA transformers, 150 KVA servo-stabilizers and all other necessary wherewithal to make the plants fully operational round the clock.
These Manifold Oxygen plants are being installed in the 30 health facilities including Community Health Centres and Sub-District hospitals spread across the length and breadth of the Union Territory. There will be 15 each for Kashmir and Jammu divisions and will be placed in areas where it can benefit large populations that do not have access to such life saving facility. For example, these Manifold Oxygen plants will be set up in the community health centres at Mendhar, Sunderbani, Surankote, Banihal, Gandoh, Batote, Banihal, Chenani, Katra, Hajin, Tangmarg, Yaripora, Zakura, Qazigund, Zainapora, Akhnoor, Chowki Chaura, Bani, Basholi, Hirannagar, Gaghwal, Ramgarh, Beerwah, Chari-Sharief and SDH Gurez, SDH Tangdar, SDH Tral, SDH Kellar, SDH Kangan, SDH Uri, SDH Kreeri.
The meeting was attended by Shri Basharat Kawoosa, Director Technical JTFRP, Ravinder Mansotra, Director, Jammu, J&KERA, Mrs. Tanvir Mir, Director, Kashmir J&KERA and other senior officers of J&KERA /JTFRP and representatives of various executing agencies.