The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently announced that around hundred new hospitals are to have their own oxygen plant under the PM CARES Fund. PM CARES Fund is Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund.
What is the plan?
The Government of India has sanctioned 162 Pressure Swing Adsorption Plants to manufacture oxygen. This is to make hospitals self sufficient in oxygen. Around hundred of these plants were sanctioned under PM CARES Fund. The Health Ministry will identify hundred hospitals in far flung locations to sanction installation of Pressure Swing Adsorption plants.
What is Pressure Swing Adsorption?
It is a technology that is used to separate gas species from a mixture of gases under pressure. The plant operates at near ambient temperatures. It uses adsorbent materials such as activated carbon, zeolites and molecular sieves to adsorb the target gas.
Adsorption is the process in which a solid holds the molecules of gas or liquid.
PM CARES Fund
It was set up to deal with any kind of emergency of distress situation like that of COVID-19. The Prime Minister is the chairman of the charitable trust of the fund. The other members of the trust include Home Minster, Defence Minister and Finance Minister.
The contributions to PM CARES fund will qualify CSR (Corporate Social Responsibilities). That is the contributions made towards PM CARES Fund is counted as CSR expenditure. Under the Companies Act, 2013, the companies with a minimum net worth between Rs 500 crores and Rs 1000 crores are required to spend at least 2% of their average profit on CSR activities.