The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) plans to soon build an oxygen generation facility on the premises of the Government General Hospital in Anantapur.
Further details expected
Anantapur MP, Talari Rangaiah, who spoke by phone to DRDO chairman G. Satheesh Reddy on Friday and received confirmation from him about the project, said The Hindu that he had not inquired about the details of the project, but had basically received approval from Mr. Satheesh Reddy.
“This could be the first project in Andhra Pradesh to be taken up by them,” added Rangaiah.
DRDO recently set up two oxygen systems on the AIIMS site in New Delhi, which went into operation on Wednesday. Each has a flow rate of 1,000 liters per minute and can treat 190 patients at a time. The DRDO plans to set up a similar facility at other locations.
Meanwhile, private hospitals in Anantapur stopped admitting patients on Friday after oxygen supplies were scarce.
Review the meeting
On Friday, District Collector Gandham Chandrudu, Superintendent of Police B. Satya Yesu Babu and Minister of Roads and Buildings Malagundla Sankaranarayana held a review meeting on the COVID situation in the district and announced that four new oxygen generation units, one each in Super Specialty Hospital (Anantapur), Guntakal Government Hospital, Kadiri and Hindupur Hospitals would be established.
All of these plants, to be built at an estimated cost of £ 8 billion, will have a capacity of 1,000 liters per minute, they said.
Special arrangements would be made to make hospital beds available to police, journalists, government officials and other frontline workers. Adequate medical and paramedical staff were hired and any breach of duty by an officer was taken seriously, they said.
The district collector suspended division cooperative officer and COVID node officer V. Rajendra Prasad for the Hindupur government hospital on Friday due to lack of coordination with medical staff and neglect of duty.