Mumbai: Hit with a short oxygen crisis in the second wave, BMC has begun working on an ambitious plan to double the availability of medical oxygen in the coming months.
Even with less than 5,000 active cases and some of them are hospitalized, the city currently requires 200 metric tons (MT) medical oxygen a day.
At the top of the second wave in April, the request touched 260-270 MT, triggered a panic search to recharge oxygen at least for five days.
“We don’t want to see such a crisis again.
Our plan is to ensure that the city has 400 MT, and almost independent,” said P Velatu, additional Commissioner Civic (project).
The plan broadly involves the installation of a more liquid medical oxygen tank in the hospital, creating a PSA factory (adsorption swing pressure) through CSR and self funding, and set up the refill station.
Emphasis is to build a PSA factory because each can produce more than 1 metric ton of oxygen.
Seven of these plants were made with CSR funds and were established at Kasturba Hospital, Bhabha and Cooper.
Also, BMC installs 16 PSA factories again in nine hospitals that will produce 41mt oxygen.
Although the commission and implementation of plants was carried out in controversy, Velatu said they would function on August 15.
“All PSA plants are put together will produce nearly 48 MT oxygen that will help the ward become independent,” he said.
It is also proposed to regulate the 45 PSA factories again with the estimated cost of RS 240 Crore.
Medium proposal and can take two months.
Installing the PSA factory involves Rs 2-2.5crore costs.
However, while the PSA factory can retain wards, they cannot change the need for high pressure oxygen – mainstay ICUS.
At present, all 200 million liquid medical oxygen (LMO) comes from suppliers such as INOX and Linde who send to hospitals have a 10-13kylitre tank to store it.
While 21 LMOS was installed after the first wave, BMC planned to add four 13kl tanks at the Jumbo facility in NSCI, Nesco, Richardson & Cruddas in Byculla and Somaiya in Zion.
Two 40KL tanks are being imported from China to be installed in Jumbos in Kanjurmarg and Somaiya.
The refill station also appears in Mahalaxmi, where the Dura cylinder up to 100 can be filled every day.