Delhi sets up O2 device banks for patients in home isolation

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is setting up oxygen concentrator banks across the city to ensure Covid-19 patients being treated at home get access to oxygen therapy should they need it, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday.

Addressing a digital press briefing, Kejriwal said, “It has been often observed that whenever a person gets infected with the virus, their oxygen levels drop suddenly. If they are given oxygen immediately, their health can be prevented from deteriorating further. If they do not get oxygen on time, things then tend to get worse. Therefore, it is imperative that Covid-19 patients get oxygen when they need,” he said.

These banks will be set up in each district, Kejriwal added.

A senior Delhi government official said each district will have at least 200 oxygen concentrators, to be given to patients on the advice of a doctor. If a Covid-19 patient is not enrolled for Delhi government’s home isolation programme, they may dial 1031 to get themselves enrolled, and avail oxygen concentrators from the bank.

However, the district administration’s team of doctors will first ensure whether the person needs an oxygen concentrator or not. After their affirmation, the oxygen concentrator will be delivered to the patients’ home.

Once the patients recover, the oxygen concentrators will be taken back from them, sanitised, and handed to another patient for use, the government said in a statement.

Lockdown likely to be extended

The Delhi government is also likely to extend the ongoing lockdown in the Capital by a week, said state officials aware of the matter. Kejriwal announced a lockdown on April 19 (after a weekend curfew on April 17 and 18),. The protocol has now been renewed several times and is currently scheduled to be in place till 10am on May 17. The order for the likely extension till May 24, will be issued on Sunday, officials said.

The crisis stretched the city’s hospitals and triggered a severe shortage of oxygen that did not get resolved until at least May 5, when the Capital finally received over 700MT of oxygen stock in a day after a long-drawn battle between the state and the Centre.

Integrated centre for Covid-19 management

The Delhi government on Saturday also opened an integrated common command and control centre (ICCC) for Covid-19 management. This centre has been opened at the already existing ICCC of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) at its headquarters - Palika Kendra, Parliament street.