These plants are required in addition to 21 being set up across Odisha. “As cases surge exponentially across the country, Prime Minster Narendra Modi has bolstered the ongoing concerted drive against the pandemic by taking several critical initiatives and crucial decisions to extend all possible assistance to states in battling the spread of the virus. Dedicated medical oxygen plants are one among them,” Pradhan wrote in his letter to Vardhan. He said the PM has accorded emergency approval for installation of 551 PSA medical oxygen plants in public health facilities across the country from PM Cares fund in addition to the 162 PSA plants allocated earlier. It has been decided to set up 21 plants in the state by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), ministry of petroleum and natural gas and the Centre.