As many as 551 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen generation plants will be set up inside public health facilities across the country to boost availability of the life-saving gas amid its shortage in several states battling the COVID-19 surge. 

Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plants

• Oxygen is an essential medicine required at all levels of the health care system. Only high quality, medical-grade oxygen should be given to patients.

• Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generating plants are a source of medical-grade oxygen. 

• Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) is the process by which ambient air passes through an internal filtration system, which has a large enough total surface area to separate nitrogen (N2) from the air, concentrating the remaining oxygen (O2) to a known purity. 

• It typically consists of an air compressor, dryer, filters, dual separation chambers, a reservoir and controls.

• PSA oxygen generator plant is a unit designed to concentrate oxygen from ambient air at scale, with output capacity varying according to calculated oxygen demand. 

• For distribution of oxygen produced from PSA plants, oxygen can either be piped directly from the oxygen tank to wards, or further compressed to fill cylinders via a supplemental booster compressor.

Setting up of oxygen plants

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that the PM Cares Fund has given in-principle approval for allocation of funds for installation of medical oxygen generation plants. 

These plants will serve as a major boost to oxygen availability at the district level.

These dedicated plants will be established in identified government hospitals in district headquarters in various states and Union Territories, and their procurement will be done through the ministry of health and family welfare. 

The PM Cares Fund had earlier this year allocated Rs 201.58 crore for installation of additional 162 dedicated PSA medical oxygen generation plants inside public health facilities in the country. 

The basic aim behind establishing PSA oxygen plants at government hospitals in the district headquarters is to further strengthen the public health system and ensure that each of these hospitals has a captive oxygen generation facility. 

Such an in-house captive oxygen generation facility would address the day-to-day medical oxygen needs of these hospitals and the district.

In addition, the liquid medical oxygen (LMO) would serve as a top up to the captive oxygen generation. 

Such a system will go a long way in ensuring that government hospitals in districts do not face sudden disruption of oxygen supplies and have uninterrupted access to it to manage COVID-19 patients and other sick persons needing such support.

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