Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said that there was adequate supply of oxygen in health institutions of the state and constant efforts were on to enhance the supply by setting up more oxygen plants besides increasing the bed capacity to facilitate the Covid patients.He said that presently oxygen plants were functional at zonal hospital Dharamshala, DDU Shimla, medical colleges Chamba, Shimla, Tanda, Ner Chowk, Hamirpur and MMU Kumharhatti. He said that oxygen plants sanctioned by the Centre for the state would be established soon by the DRDO at civil hospital Palampur, zonal hospital Mandi, civil hospitals Khaneri and Rohru in district Shimla, regional hospital Solan and medical college Nahan.Jai Ram Thakur said that recently, the government of India has sanctioned 13 more PSA oxygen plants for the State which were being established at Palampur, Mandi, Ghumarwin, Hamirpur, Reckong Peo, Ratti, Rampur, Sarahan, Kullu, DDU Shimla, IGMC Shimla, Dharamshala and Ner Chowk.
The Chief Minister said the state was producing 75.81 metric tonne per day while the consumption was 27.83 metric tonne per day. The state presently has 4728 D-type oxygen cylinders and 1535 B-type cylinders. He said eight industrial units were also working for manufacturing oxygen in the private sector in the state and the production was 57.03 metric tonne per day.He said the state has urged the government of India to 5000 D-Type and 3000 B-Type cylinders to the State. He said that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has provided 75000 PPE kits and 75000 N-95 masks to the State.Jai Ram Thakur said the state government was also making all out efforts to enhance bed capacity keeping in view rise in the number of Covid patients in the hospitals. He said presently there were around 3700 beds available in various health institutes of the state and almost half of them were unoccupied. The state also has a facility of 244 ICU and 1804 oxygenated beds. He said that bed capacity would be enhanced by 1100 in makeshift hospitals at the earliest.