Page 27 - NIS - English,16-30 September,2022

Sankalp Yatra of New India Cover Story

SELF-RELIANCE IN OXYGEN PRODUCTION

The lack of oxygen caught everyone's attention during the second wave of COVID.
The demand was high, but transportation capacity was limited. In such trying times,
every effort was made by the oxygen PSA plant through the PM Cares Fund to
ensure that the country becomes self-sufficient in oxygen production. As a result
of timely decisions, the country's capacity to produce oxygen per day has increased
more than tenfold.

14 n During the second wave of COVID
the production capacity of liquid
medical oxygen was 900 MT per
day. The capacity for producing
oxygen has been increased
tenfold to 9300 metric tonnes per
day.
A total of 4,115 Pressure Swing
n
Adsorption Plants with a capacity
(PSA) of 4,755 MT were set up
to make hospitals self-sufficient
in oxygen production as per the
requirements during the COVID
pandemic.

Under PM Cares
On normal days, India used to produce 900 metric Provided support to states and
tonnes of liquid medical oxygen a day. With the UTs by setting up and operating
increase in demand, India increased the production 1,225 PSA plants.
of medical oxygen by more than ten times. This
was an unimaginable goal for any country in the During the crisis
world, but India achieved it. Over 36,840 tonnes of liquid
-Narendra Modi, Prime Minister oxygen was transported by 900

Oxygen Express trains.

15 JAN AUSHADI YOJNA : EFFECTIVE, AFFORDABLE, AND USEFUL MEDICINES

Expensive medicines are also n The number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras is 8,786 by August 16, 2022. The
included in the huge cost of government has set a target of increasing the number to 10,000 by
treatment. However, if you March 2024.
can get the same medicines n Medicines and sanitary napkins for women are also available at Re 1 for
for 50 to 90 percent less women at 50-90 per cent less than the market price at these centres
than the market price, today
the Prime Minister, Bhartiya n More than Rs 15,000 crore has been saved for the general public under
Janaushadhi Kendra, is this project. Medicines and medical devices ranging from simple
realising this truth. diseases to cancer have been included under this scheme.

New India Samachar September 16-30, 2022 25