Engineers urge PM to utilize PSM oxygen plant as Pakistan battle COVID

The National Engineers Welfare Association (NEWA), is a platform for engineers in Pakistan, has urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to utilize Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) oxygen plant that can fill 25,000 cylinders daily.

NEWA, a registered body of engineers, has sent a letter to the Prime Minister, in which it has offered to provide professional services for the rehabilitation of PSM oxygen plants.

“As you are aware we are now fighting a battle against the third wave covid-19. Our healthcare and medical resources are slowly reaching the limits. The most important factor that is causing the death of 100s and 1000s hospitalized covid patients is the lack of oxygen supply available to different hospitals and medical facilities across Pakistan,” read the letter.

“We wish to inform and bring into your kind knowledge that Pakistan Steel Mills has two state-of-the-art oxygen-producing plants that were manufactured in France, imported to Pakistan and installed at Pakistan Steel Mills to be used in the process of steelmaking,” it said.

It informed that a single oxygen-producing plant at PSM has the capacity to produce 260 tons of oxygen per day equivalent to 25,000 oxygen field cylinders per day.

“These plants have been shut down since 2015 looking into a grave situation we would like to request your immediate action in restoring one of the two oxygen production plants at Pakistan Steel Mills to be fully operational,” it stated.

The letter stated that they are a team of highly qualified engineers who are also former employees of PSM. “If you wish we can initiate this project which will help Pakistan in combating the current situation of covid-19.”

The offer comes after oxygen producers have warned that Pakistan may face a similar situation like India which is struggling with the shortage of oxygen gas for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

An official of Pakistan Oxygen Limited, an oxygen-producing company, told The News that 100 percent of oxygen produced by the company is being supplied to the healthcare facilities due to an increase in its demand as Pakistan battles the third coronavirus wave.

"If cases continue to rise, hospitals may face shortage of oxygen as we are producing at our maximum capacity," the official added. The official added that oxygen produced in the country is used for both treatments of respiratory problems as well as in the industry.