Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned the procurement of 1 Lakh Portable Oxygen Concentrators from the PM Cares Fund.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by PM Modi to discuss the measures needed to improve Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) Supply for COVID management.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister instructed that these Oxygen Concentrators should be procured at the earliest and provided in states with high case burden, PMO release said.

In addition to the earlier sanctioned 713 PSA plants under PM Cares Fund, 500 new Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants have been sanctioned under PM CARES Fund.

The PSA plants will augment the supply of Liquid Medical Oxygen at hospitals in district headquarters and Tier 2 cities. These 500 PSA plants will be established with transfer of the indigenous technology developed by DRDO and CSIR to the domestic manufacturers.

Establishing PSA plants and procurement of portable oxygen concentrators will greatly augment the supply of oxygen near the demand clusters, thereby addressing the current logistical challenges in transporting oxygen from plants to hospitals, the release said.

The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said it would be setting up 500 medical oxygen plants in the country under the PM CARES fund programme.

A statement from the DRDO said the medical oxygen plant (MOP) technology was developed to supply oxygen on board the light combat aircraft (LCA) by the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL). The same technology will be used to fight the current oxygen crisis facing covid-19 patients in the country.