Installation of an oxygen generator with a capacity to produce 500 litres of medical-grade oxygen a minute commenced at Koodankulam Government Hospital on Monday.
With this ₹1.50 crore-worth plant imported from Turkey, 720 cubic metres of oxygen can be generated every day and supplied to COVID-19 patients. On the direction of the district administration, the plant has been imported by Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
After experiencing the crisis during the recent COVID-19 second wave when all government and private hospitals with oxygen-supported beds were overflowing with critically-ill patients, Collector V. Vishnu took steps to augment the availability of medical-grade oxygen. While the oxygen supplied by Mahendragiri-based Indian Space Research Organisation’s Propulsion Research Complex (IPRC) met the demand to some extent, the Indian Railway’s oxygen express trains came to the major rescue of the patients.
Though an unexpected technical snag in Sterlite Copper’s oxygen plant affected medical-grade oxygen production, it was rectified by technicians and IPRC experts. Consequently, there is no dearth for medical-grade oxygen in Tirunelveli region now.
However, anticipating a severe ‘third wave,’ steps have been taken to augment the medical-grade oxygen generation in the district. While efforts are on to ensure the generation of 2,400 cubic metre oxygen from a plant at Sethurayanpudur near Tirunelveli, another plant on Gangaikondan SIPCOT Industrial Promotion Centre is expected to produce 1,680 cubic metres of oxygen in the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, the KKNPP has started installation of the oxygen generator at Kudankulam Government Hospital on Monday, which is expected to be completed within a couple of days. With all these facilities, 4,800 cubic metres of medical-grade oxygen and 683 oxygen cylinders will be available in Tirunelveli district in the next two weeks.
“We have established 11 COVID Care Centres across the district with 4,500 beds. Of this, about 2,000 beds are oxygen-supported, and we’ve deployed 600 oxygen concentrators to save the lives of COVID-19 patients. The district is fully prepared to face the ‘third wave,’ if at all there is one,” said Mr. Vishnu.
