By Imna Longchar
Dimapur (Nagaland), June 23 :Two district hospitals-Tuensang and Phek in Nagaland now have emergency oxygen supplies available to provide intensive care treatment to the critically ill Covid-19 patients.
The plants utilize Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology to produce up to 800 litres of oxygen per minute.
A total of eight oxygen generation plants are being installed in the Northeast states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura with the help of the Government of Japan and UNDP.
The plants have the capacity to serve approximately 1,300 beds.
A day after launching the oxygen generation plant in Tuensang district on June 22, another plant was launched at Phek district on Wednesday by Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio.
Rio, while thanking the UNDP India and the Government of Japan for installing the oxygen generation plants in Tuensang and Phek districts, said that the people are indebted for this help, the one that strengthens health facility and furthers our ability to be able to succeed in mitigating this unprecedented health crisis.
Minister, Health and Family Welfare (H &FW), S. Pangnyu Phom, also extended his gratitude to UNDP and Government of Japan for strengthening the health system.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of India, Suzuki Satoshi, said that to support the Government of India’s ongoing COVID-19 response, UNDP together with the Government of Japan is strengthening the health and social protection systems, most importantly reviving the livelihoods and targeting the most vulnerable population.
“Japan is always happy to provide development assistance to the Northeast, feeling a special closeness based on our shared history. I hope that these oxygen generating plants will serve well and help as many people as possible for a longtime,” stated Suzuki.
Informing that UNDP stands committed to supporting the Government of India to fight, in partnership with development partners and UN sister agencies, Suzuki also said that he was pleased that several months of effort to provide “end to end service”, to install and set the oxygen generation plants up and running has come to fruition.