Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray inaugurates oxygen plants at five BMC hospitals

Mumbai, July 02: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday inaugurated oxygen generating plants at five hospitals run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The total capacity of these five plants, set up through donations from corporates, is around 6.93 metric tons, a BMC release said. The plants have been set up at Kasturba Hospital at Chinchpokali, Cooper Hospital at Vile Parle, Bhabha Hospital at Bandra, Rajawadi Hospital at Ghatkopar and the Covid Care Centre at the Nehru Science Centre.

"We all have undergone a war-like experience to make oxygen available during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic," Thackeray said after inaugurating the plants through video link.

"Just as the BMC's performance in Covid management has been hailed around the world as 'Dharavi Model', so too has been the 'Mumbai Model' of oxygen management," the chief minister said.

He recalled the time when the BMC had to shift about 170 patients overnight when oxygen supply to a hospital ran out but the administration acted on a war footing and saved lives.

The plants, which will generate the life-saving gas from the atmosphere, have been set up through corporate social responsibility funding by Aarti industries, Gharda Chemicals, BG Shirke Construction Technology, Sassex Foundation, Ultratech Cement, D'decor Home Fabrics and Marwah Steel, the BMC said.

State Environment Minister and guardian minister of Mumbai suburban district Aaditya Thackeray noted that not a single patient died due to oxygen shortage in Mumbai despite the demand shooting up during the second wave.