New Delhi / Durgapur, 31st May 2021: Fulfilling its commitment to set up jumbo COVID care facilities equipped with gaseous oxygen, SAIL’s second COVID Care Hospital with 200 beds has been set up at Durgapur Steel Plant. Hon'ble Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, dedicated this 200-bed COVID Care Hospital to the nation today, on 31.05.2021, in an online program. Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, Hon'ble Minister of State for Steel, Shri SS Ahluwalia, Member of Parliament from Durgapur, MLAs of the region, Smt. Soma Mondal, Chairman, SAIL, and other senior officials from the Steel Ministry and SAIL also joined the online inauguration.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan applauded the commitment of the SAIL collective for acting very swiftly and setting up the second COVID care unit within a short time.
Shri Pradhan said that the Centre will boost COVID-related medical infrastructure in the region and provide much-needed help to the patients. He highlighted that SAIL’s steel plants in West Bengal at Durgapur and Burnpur have been standing strong to provide every possible assistance to the state in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. SAIL has strengthened Bengal’s resolve to fight the pandemic. Recently, a 200-bed COVID care facility at Burnpur was dedicated to the service of the nation. This was the first in the series of jumbo COVID care facilities being set up by SAIL in a fast-track mode.
Shri Pradhan said that under the guidance of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the use of gaseous oxygen tapped from the source was conceptualized. He emphasized that Durgapur’s facility aligns with the Prime Minister’s call for “Jahan Bimaar, Wahin Upchaar” and his philosophy of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.”
Enumerating the Prime Minister’s vision of taking everyone along, Shri Pradhan stressed the importance of vaccinating more and more people associated with the steel ecosystem, including contract laborers.
This 200-bed COVID care hospital is fitted with a supply of gaseous oxygen directly from the plant through a dedicated pipeline. It has been set up in a two-storied building with ladders on both sides, including a ramp for carrying critical patients. It is equipped with a valve-controlled gaseous oxygen supply from a nearby Oxygen Plant. Another highlight of this hospital is its proximity to the GT Road highway near CHRD, DSP, which will facilitate ease of access for the patients. There are backup oxygen batteries available near the care unit with provisions for alternate oxygen cylinders in case of accidental interruptions in the pipeline oxygen supply. The hospital also includes separate rooms for doctors, nurses, and other health workers, as well as kitchens, bathrooms, and toilet facilities for the patients. It is ensured that continuous medical oxygen, water, and electricity will be supplied to the Care Unit on behalf of Durgapur Steel Plant.
This is the second COVID care hospital by SAIL, set up within a very short time after the first one at SAIL’s IISCO Steel Plant a few days earlier. These COVID care hospitals are being established following the company’s announcement to set up an additional 2,500 beds with gaseous oxygen around its five integrated steel plants, apart from the already earmarked and extended beds for COVID treatment in its hospitals.
Date 31.05.2021