BENGALURU: The first set of three medical oxygen plants being readied in Karnataka on behalf of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), are likely to commissioned by this month-end. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has completed work on two structures inside which they will be housed, while a third is getting ready.
These plants will help generate oxygen in a cost effective way. Speaking to TNIE, General Manager (Technical) and Project Director, NHAI, S P Somashekar said the concrete structures, spanning 600 sq feet, were completed at the ESI Hospital at Koppal Institute of Medical Sciences and ESI Hospital in Kalaburagi. “The third one at C V Raman Hospital in Bengaluru is getting ready and we will hand them over by this weekend,” he said. “They will house an oxygen tank and compressor apart from electrical equipments. They can generate up to 1,000 litres of oxygen per minute, “ he added.
A DRDO spokesperson told TNIE that medical oxygen plant technology is being used, which has been developed by DRDO for generating oxygen onboard its light combat aircraft, Tejas. “The system can cater to 190 patients at a flow rate of 5 litres per minute and charge 195 cylinders per day.”
Though it was announced that 500 such plants were to be readied within three months across the country, the actual number could be lesser with non-availability of sites cited as a reason, said a source. State Deputy Director of Medical Health, Dr Selvaraj said, “A total of 31 pressure swing adsorption technology plants have been approved as of now. They will totally produce 22,500 litres of oxygen per minute.”
FIFTH OXYGEN EXPRESS CHUGS INTO K’TAKA
The fifth Oxygen Express entered the inland container depot in Whitefield on Thursday carrying 160 tonnes of the gas, the highest such consignment brought in a single train so far. Altogether eight cryogenic cylinders carried 20 tonnes each. According to release, the train reached ICD at 1.05 am from Tatanagar in Jharkhand.