Only Sadar and Mercy Hospital plants functional; rest lie unused due to neglect
Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, May 29: In a shocking revelation, five of the seven pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants installed across East Singhbhum district during the deadly second wave of COVID-19 are now non-functional. The PSA plants, which cost crores, were meant to provide life-saving oxygen but are now gathering dust due to lack of maintenance, trained staff and budgetary support.
Of the seven plants, only those at Sadar Hospital and Mercy Hospital remain operational. The two units at MGM Hospital failed from the start, with one never functioning post-inauguration. The unit is now being dismantled to make way for a new building. At the Tatanagar Railway Hospital, the plant ran for a year before shutting down due to expired maintenance contracts. Repeated letters from the CMO to the service company have gone unanswered.
In Ghatshila Subdivisional Hospital, although a staff member was trained, the plant is now only used for mock drills. Similarly, at Chakulia CHC, the PSA plant never functioned fully—its compressor broke down and the hospital lacked trained technicians to manage it. A trial run once caused an exorbitant power bill, after which the plant was shelved.
Dr. Bhuvaneshwar Sah, Deputy Superintendent of Sadar Hospital, confirmed that both PSA units at the hospital are functional and supplying oxygen throughout the facility. Meanwhile, Civil Surgeon Dr. Sahir Pal stated that efforts are underway to revive the defunct units in Ghatshila and Chakulia, especially in light of the re-emergence of COVID-19 cases nationwide.
The situation underscores the urgent need for accountability, proper training and sustained infrastructure management in rural and semi-urban healthcare systems.
