Long-awaited oxygen plants were inaugurated in Tura, Jowai and Nongpoh today as part of the fight against Covid-19.
At the Tura Civil Hospital, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the oxygen generation plant at a function where representatives of the Japanese embassy and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined in through video conferencing.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma expressed gratitude to the Japanese government and the UNDP for extending necessary help during the critical time of pandemic and described this day as a “momentous occasion”.
He also said that the pandemic is challenging but the ceaseless and tireless work of the health workers made the number of cases come down. He also informed that the oxygen plant has come up in record time due to the help and support of the UNDP and the people of Japan.
Speaking via video conferencing, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to India, Suzuki Satoshi, expressed his happiness for his country having helped India and being able to make the oxygen plants in the North East operational.
Giving an overview of its Covid-19 response, the UNDP’s Resident Representative in India, Shoko Noda, assured the organisation’s help and support to India and the North East in fighting the pandemic.
Meanwhile, in Jowai, local MLA Wailadmiki Shylla inaugurated the new oxygen plant at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital, while Health Minister AL Hek and local MLA Mayralborn Syiem did the same at Nongpoh Civil Hospital. Both of these projects were also funded by Japan and the UNDP.
The oxygen plant installed in Tura has a production capacity of 1.1 tonnes per day, according to information provided by the company that set up all three facilities, Uttam Group.
