A total of nine pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants will be functioning in Manipur soon to avoid medical oxygen shortages while combating COVID-19 second wave, said additional director of Health Services (Medical Care), Lalthari Hmar.
Speaking to Imphal Free Press over the phone, she said that three PSA plants are currently functioning in the state. They are installed at JNIMS, Porompat with the capacity of 700 litre per minute of oxygen supply; at Thoubal with the capacity of 100 litre per minute of oxygen supply; and at Churachandpur with the capacity of 200 litre per minute of oxygen supply. Moreover, Thoubal PSA plant will start supplying medical oxygen by Monday, she added.
As the PSA plant at Churachandpur was recently installed, it is providing only 5 litre per minute of oxygen. However, the production quantity can supply oxygen to at least 40 patients in a day, said Lalthari.
She further said the civil works for installation of PSA plants at Chandel, Tamenglong, Senapati, Jiribam, Ukhrul and Tengnoupal have been started and will be functioning within 15 days, after completion of technical works. With functioning of the nine PSA plants, COVID-19 patients in the state will not face any issues on shortages of medical oxygen.
Responding to IFP, she also said that in the last 24 hours, a total of 1,355 D-type and B-type oxygen cylinders have been made available to different health institutions of the state.
D-type oxygen cylinder has the oxygen capacity of 7,000 litre of oxygen and B-type oxygen cylinder has oxygen capacity of 1,000 litre, she added.
She continued that at present, district hospitals and government health institutions have a total of 309 D-type and 92 B-type filled oxygen cylinders. District wise, there are 11 D-type and 14 B-type in Bishnupur; 17 D-type and 4 B-type in Chandel; 66 D-type but no B-type in Churachandpur; 67 D-type and 22 B-type in Thoubal; 24 D-type and 7 B-type in Ukhrul; 20 D-type and 11 B-type in Jiribam; 20 D-type and 6 B-type in Moreh; 3 D-type and 1 B-type in Kamjong; 9 D-type and 12 B-type in Kakching; 5 D-type and 1 B-type in Kangpokpi; 4 D-type and 3 B-type in Pherzawl; 2 D-type but no B-type in Noney; 19 D-type and 12 B-type in Tamenglong; and 42 D-type but no B-type in Senapati.
The installed Liquid Medical Oxygen Cryogenic (LMOC) tank with a capacity of 10 KL of medical oxygen at JNIMS has already been inaugurated. However, due to some technical issues the plant is unable to produce its full capacity. As of now, only 1,300 litre of D-type oxygen can be stored in the plant, she said.
It is also reported that two PSA plants with the capacity to produce 1,000 litre per minute of medical oxygen each will be installed at RIMS under the central ministry.
