Gandhinagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the central government has sanctioned 11 new PSA oxygen plants to be set up in Gujarat and they will be operational shortly.

Shah was speaking in Gandhinagar while inaugurating a 280-litre PSA oxygen plant in Gandhinagar in an Ayurvedic hospital at Kolawada.

"This plant will facilitate the 66 patients being treated here at the hospital and provide oxygen. The plant will provide 280 litre of oxygen per minute. Not only that, in case of emergency, we have also provided the hospital with oxygen cylinders, so that the patients do not suffer," the minister said.

"Under the far-sighted leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his planning, we have started a special campaign to provide oxygen in the country through the PMCare Fund.

"As a part of that, the central government has sanctioned 11 new PSA oxygen plants to be set up in Gujarat. All of them will be operational within a short time. Moreover, the surplus oxygen production volume will be provided to other states," said Shah.

"Gujarat is an industrial state and so oxygen production is also more which will also be helpful to others," Shah added.

The union minister lauded the efforts by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel in availing government schemes to the rural citizens of his constituency in Gandhinagar.

"The way Vijaybhai and Nitinbhai have carried out works during the first wave of Corona in Gujarat, the same way they have continued for the second wave also. I believe that we will defeat Corona even in the second wave and come out victorious and bring out Gujarat people and make them safe," said Shah.

Shah, while briefing the media on Saturday said that a 1,200-bed hospital is being planned for covid patients in Gandhinagar at a helipad ground. This hospital, which will come up in cooperation with Tata Trust, will have 600 ICU beds. It will be set up by the DRDO, while the whole expense will be born by the Tata Trust.