The government on Wednesday approved the procurement of 1.5 lakh units of 'Oxycare' system, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). ₹322 crore have been sanctioned from the PM-CARES Fund for the purchase to help in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Oxycare is an oxygen supply system based on SpO2 (oxygen saturation) level. The DRDO has already transferred the technology to multiple industries in India for large-scale production of the Oxycare system.
The defence ministry said 1 lakh manual and 50,000 automatic Oxycare systems are being procured.
"The Oxycare system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 levels and prevents a person from sinking into a state of hypoxia which can be fatal," the ministry said in a statement.
Oxycare was developed by DRDO for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas.