Thane district Guardian minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated 960 liters per minute capacity oxygen generation plant at the civic hospital in Vashi on Thursday. The civic body has planned to set up five oxygen generation plants in civic hospitals and the COVID care centre.
The first of the five oxygen plants planned has been set up at the civic hospital in Vashi and has been inaugurated on Thursday. The remaining plants will come at other civic hospitals in Nerul and Airoli including the COVID care centre in Vashi before July 31.
Considering the oxygen shortage during the second wave of COVID-19, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) decided to become self-sufficient in terms of oxygen availability for the possible third wave of COVID-19. The work of one of the remaining four portable oxygen generator plants are underway.
As per the estimate, in the third wave of COVID-19, about 50 metric tons of oxygen will be required for the NMMC area. While inaugurating the facility, Shinde expressed satisfaction over the execution of the project in time.
In view of the possible third wave of COVID-19 and need for more oxygen, apart from five Oxygen Generation Projects (PSAs), the civic body is setting up 3 storage tanks and arranging 350 Dura cylinders, 325 jumbo cylinders and 200 B type cylinders. In preparation for the third wave, approximately 1200 oxygen beds and 500 ICUs additional will be made available.
The Civic Hospital, Vashi is the largest hospital of NMMC with a capacity of 300 beds. The oxygen plant set up has an oxygen production capacity of 1.84 metric tonnes per day and is expected to fill 200 jumbo oxygen cylinders or 10 dura oxygen cylinders per day.
In addition, Shinde also inaugurated the High-Resolution CT scan machine at the COVID Care Centre at the Vashi exhibition centre. The centre has been equipped with a pediatric ward and the machine would be useful for the treatment of COVID-infected children. The NMMC claimed that they are the first civic body to have set up HRCT at the COVID Care centre. The machine has been received under the CSR funds.
