Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan virtually inaugurated a 114-bedded covid care facility in Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) of SAIL in Chhattisgarh. This hospital is equipped with gaseous oxygen and has been set up after laying a pipeline of 1.5 Km for the supply of gaseous oxygen from the plant. This is the first phase of this project which aims to scale up to reach a total of 500 oxygenated beds in the subsequent two more phases. The centre has a facility of double oxygen backup supply. Apart from gaseous oxygen as the main source, there is also a provision of backup of stored liquid medical oxygen. The facility is also equipped with necessary Internet and telecom services to facilitate IT requirements and remote consultancy.

SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant’s JLN Hospital & Research Centre has played an important role in treating COVID patients of the region. As many as 8000 covid patients have been treated in this hospital in Bhilai so far. With the recent rise in the number of patients, the number of beds with oxygen facility has been increased to 594, including 560 beds with piped oxygen supply. Besides in-patient treatment, around 31,000 persons have been tested for covid at four centres including one inside the Plant. A special flu clinic was set up where more than 35,000 covid-suspect persons were given medical guidance.