From Transporter To Producer: Railways To Soon Have 86 Oxygen Plants In Operation, To Fight Pandemic

Leaving no stone unturned in the fight against the pandemic, Indian Railways is setting up 86 oxygen plants for its hospitals across the country to strengthen its in-house medical facilities.

In the wake of the second wave of Covid-19, the move assumes significance as the country is facing an acute crisis of oxygen, the mainstay of medicare in the ongoing pandemic, at several hospitals.

While the Railways is moving emergency medical aid to various destinations, four oxygen plants are functional, 52 being sanctioned and 30 under various stages of processing at the moment.

According to the Railways, work will start on mission mode in June as General Managers have been delegated further powers, up to Rs 2 crore in each case for sanctioning oxygen generation plants in their respective zones.

All Railway Covid Hospitals are to be equipped with oxygen generation plants, the Railways maintained.

Stepping up efforts, a massive capacity enhancement exercise is currently under way in 86 Railway Hospitals across the country with the number of beds for Covid treatment having been increased from 2,539 to 6,972.

Invasive ventilators have been added and their number has been increased from 62 to 296.

The ICU Beds in Covid hospitals have also been increased from 273 to 573.
Railways maintains that constant efforts are being made to add critical medical equipment like BIPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders among others in Railway hospitals.

Railways has also issued instructions that Covid-affected employees may be admitted to empanelled hospitals on referral basis as per need.

This massive capacity enhancement in Railway hospitals would usher in better infrastructure to handle medical emergencies.