Media reports on PSA plants are misleading: Govt

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has clarified that reports published in some sections of the media regarding the non-functional status of PSA plants that were installed in Chhattisgarh though PM CARES are misleading and false.

The Ministry has released a statement in which it said, “There have been some media reports alleging that PSA plants installed in the State of Chhattisgarh through PM CARES funds are not being maintained well. Such media reports are fallacious and ill-informed. They are not based on facts.”

It added, “It is clarified that 122 PSA plants are being installed from various sources in the State of Chhattisgarh, of which 49 plants were installed and commissioned under PM CARES. After 1000 hours of the running of the PSA plant, Zeolite, an absorbent material used in PSA plants to produce medical grade oxygen, needs to be replaced. As per industry norms, the shelf life of Zeolite is 3-5 years and has to be replaced only after this period. The funds for this have been sanctioned by the State Government of Chhattisgarh.”

The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has said that it has been conducting regular weekly reviews and States/ UTs have been time and again urged to complete the installation and commission PSA plants being set up through their various sources.

“All these PM CARES plants come under standard 1 year of warranty for DRDO plants, 5 years for HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES)* and 10 years for Central Medical Services Society (CMSS). As part of MoHFW weekly review, 13 plants out of 49 were not functional because of site issues or vendor issues which have been already shared with States/Agencies.”