(Karachi) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the oxygen plant at Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) could be made operational in three months with an amount of Rs1 billion, local media reported.

The chief minister said this during a meeting with health officials on Tuesday. The meeting discussed the strategy to cope with the COVID situation in the province.

Murad said that the Sindh government is ready to spend Rs1 billion for making the Steel Mill oxygen plant operational as the country, especially the province would need oxygen supplies in case of a surge in coronavirus cases.

The CM stated that improving oxygen supplies would enable the provincial government in ensuring the proper treatment of critical patients. “We will be providing cold chains and vaccines to the hospitals so that people could be vaccinated on large scale,” he said.

The chief minister pointed out that the positivity ratio has reached 18.02 percent in Hyderabad, followed by 12.87 percent in Karachi and 6.85 percent in Sukkur.

Earlier, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan said that the country's oxygen production capacity is being increased to support the health system and counter an increasing number of Covid-19 infections.

He said that Pakistan Steel Mills' (PSM) oxygen plant would be re-activated to meet the country's oxygen demand. "Using non-essential industries and importing oxygen can also be used to increase the supply," the SAPM said.