A dedicated COVID hospital for children below the age of 15 years will soon be opened in Manipur, informed state CM N Biren Singh on Friday (May 28) in Imphal.

He was interacting with the media after inaugurating a Cryogenic Liquid Medical Oxygen plant having a storage capacity of 10 KL at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) complex in Imphal East district.

The Chief Minister stated that an 80-bedded dedicated COVID hospital for children below 15 years would be opened soon.

He informed that the decision to open a dedicated COVID hospital for children was taken after there was a surge in COVID-19 infection among children.

Meanwhile, after inaugurating the oxygen plant Singh said, "It gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate the 10KL LMO Cryogenic Tank at JNIMS today."

"This plant will play a key role in meeting our oxygen demand at this juncture. Under PM @narendramodi Ji’s guidance, we have been able to ramp up crucial health infrastructure within record time," he added.

It gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate the 10KL LMO Cryogenic Tank at JNIMS today. This plant will play a key role in meeting our oxygen demand at this juncture. Under PM @narendramodi Ji’s guidance,we have been able to ramp up crucial health infrastructure within record time pic.twitter.com/3lqrA6W7q6

— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) May 28, 2021

"Initially, we were not sure that an oxygen plant of such capacity could be installed within such a short period. However, with joint efforts and collective hard work of all concerned, it has become a reality now and it is like a dream come true at this critical juncture," Singh added.

The Chief Minister further informed that a PSA oxygen plant in Churachandpur is now operational and a similar plant would also be inaugurated in Thoubal as well within a couple of days.

"Several hill districts will also have their own oxygen plants soon. Another Cryogenic LMO plant of 20 KL capacity will be installed in Imphal at the earliest," he added.

The CM further informed that Manipur now has around 4000 oxygen cylinders and over 1000 oxygen concentrators.

He also informed that another ICU block having 70 beds with ventilators is also coming up at the JNIMS complex soon.

"With all these measures, the patients requiring oxygen will be quite manageable," Singh added.

He also informed that the Centre has been providing prompt assistance whenever needed and he thanked the PM Modi-led Union government for all the assistance provided at this hour of crisis.

"If we have to defeat the pandemic then we all need to strictly adhere to the SoPs," the CM observed.

Later, CM Singh also inaugurated a Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra where people can buy over 600 types of high quality generic medicines and 154 surgical products at affordable rates.