India's Delayed Tender for 150 On-site Oxygen Plants Amidst Covid Spike

2023-05-04 22:03:12 By : admin
In October 2020, India was experiencing its first Covid-19 peak, and hospitals were in dire need of oxygen to treat patients. The government of India invited tenders for 150 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants to be built on hospital premises. PSA oxygen plants use the air around them and separate the oxygen from other gases to produce high-purity oxygen. The idea was to have a sustainable source of oxygen within the hospitals to ensure that supply didn't run out during the peak.

The tender was awarded to Hangzhou Boxiang Gas Equipment Co., Ltd., a Chinese company specializing in compressed air purification equipment, PSA oxygen generator, VPSA oxygen generator, PSA nitrogen generator, liquid nitrogen generator. Eight months went by, and the government had not received any delivery. The authorities realized that they had made a mistake and had not factored in the time required to manufacture and ship the equipment. The government then took on the responsibility of importing the equipment and built the plants themselves, which took four months. By the time the plants had been set up, India was in the grip of its second wave, and there was a severe shortage of oxygen.
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The PSA oxygen plants were of critical importance in the fight against the pandemic. India needed to increase its oxygen production rapidly to meet the soaring demand. Many hospitals were running out of oxygen, and patients were struggling to breathe. Doctors and nurses were working tirelessly to save lives, but they needed oxygen to do so. In response, many organizations came forward to donate oxygen cylinders to hospitals, and the government airlifted oxygen from other countries.

The PSA oxygen plants were a crucial project that would have provided a long-term solution to India's oxygen shortage. PSA technology is an energy-efficient and reliable technology that can produce high-purity medical oxygen on site. The oxygen produced by these plants is enough to support the oxygen requirements of over 20,000 beds in one day. This technology was needed to meet the increasing demand for oxygen, which surged during the pandemic.

The delay in setting up the PSA oxygen plants caused a panic situation in the country. People felt that the government had failed them by not delivering the promised equipment on time. The government responded by saying that they had not factored in the time required to manufacture and import the equipment, and they were doing everything possible to speed up the process.

India's second wave of the pandemic saw a severe shortage of oxygen. There were reports of patients dying due to a lack of oxygen, and people were desperate for help. The government of India declared it a national emergency and allocated resources to tackle the crisis. The government also put a cap on the price of oxygen cylinders, making it affordable for everyone.

In conclusion, the PSA oxygen plants were an essential project that came to India's rescue during its second wave. The government's delay in delivering the plants caused a panic situation, but the plants would have been a long-term solution to India's oxygen shortage. India must learn from this experience and invest in such technologies to avoid similar situations in the future. PSA oxygen plants may have taken time to produce, but their benefits in the fight against Covid-19 are immeasurable.