As a part of preparations for the potential third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has decided to set up 30 oxygen plants in the vicinity of hospitals and health centres in the city.
The proposal was approved by the AMC’s standing committee in its weekly meeting on Thursday evening.
The civic body will set up 10 oxygen plants of 500 litres per minute (LPM) capacity and 20 plants of 250 LPM in the coming weeks, standing committee chairman Hitesh Barot told journalists.
“The Covid-19 situation in Ahmedabad is under control, but experts are warning of a third wave of the pandemic. The decision to set up the new oxygen plants is part of our planning to be ready for any eventuality,” Barot said.
The AMC, which will incur a cost of Rs. 11.80 crore for the 30 oxygen plants, has finalised the location of 10 plants, which are spread across different parts of Ahmedabad, while location of the remaining 20 will be finalised soon.
Like other cities, Ahmedabad also witnessed a massive spike in Covid-19 cases in the second wave in April and May, with the city reporting more than 5,600 cases on several days. Hospitals were overwhelmed with unending queues of patients, and as demand for medical oxygen soared, an acute shortage ensued. The situation got better when supplies improved and demand stabilised as Covid-19 cases started declining.
Ahmedabad city has been reporting 2-3 Covid-19 cases on an average per day for the past few weeks.