In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with community-based volunteers, social organisations, foundations, corporates, hospitals and the local administration, ActionAid Association has been working towards strengthening public health infrastructure across India. For example, in Tamil Nadu, we recently set up an Oxygen Generation Plant at St. Isabel’s Hospital in Mylapore, Chennai. This 250 litres per minute (lpm) plant was inaugurated on April 20 by Thiru Ma. Subramanian, Honourable Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu, in the presence of several other dignitaries. On the occasion, while talking about how this initiative would benefit vulnerable patients in need, Thiru Ma. Subramanian commended the wide-ranging work done by ActionAid Association during the pandemic.

The establishment of this oxygen plant is part of a campaign supported by Give India to strengthen the medical capacities of public hospitals and healthcare centres across the country. In Tamil Nadu, starting June 2021, 1,000 oxygen concentrators with a 5-lpm degree and 110 concentrators with a 10-lpm capacity have been provided to primary health centres, community health centres and public hospitals. Across India, ActionAid Association has distributed 4,750 5-lpm oxygen concentrators and 1,640 10-lpm concentrators across 164 districts in 13 states. Read more about our COVID response here.

Another Oxygen Generation Plant has recently been set up at St. Thomas Hospital in Chetpet, Tiruvannamalai.