NE HELATH BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, APRIL 13
As the pandemic spreads to small towns and villages with creaky public health infrastructure, lack of enough high-flow piped oxygen supplies can lead to a lot of avoidable deaths, doctors fear. “We don’t need more ventilators really. We need more oxygen access in rural areas,” say healthcare providers.
Some 15% of Covid-19 patients see rapid lung failure and require help with breathing, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Some patients appear in no evident respiratory distress, but are found to have dangerously low oxygen levels – a condition called silent hypoxia. A fraction of critically ill patients require a ventilator.
Aiming to help the overburdened healthcare sector and the needy patients to get the much-needed oxygen to breathe easy and survive without visiting the hospitals, the Lions District 3232 has announced the launch of a portable oxygen machine bank with 100 machines in Ahmedabad city on Monday. It will provide oxygen machines to critically ill patients at home on payment of a nominal fee of Rs 100 per day for a week. This machine produces oxygen from the atmosphere and hence ensures uninterrupted supply.
With the surge in coronavirus cases, the number of beds in hospitals are declining and the waiting period of 2-3 days has caused anxiety.
The Lions District 3232 has come up with a novel project to augment the availability of portable oxygen machines through which portable oxygen machines will be given to critical patients at home. Under this unique initiative, patients will get 5 and 10 litre capacity portable oxygen machines for home treatment. Initially, about 100 such machines have been procured from the donations of many philanthropists which will be scaled up to 1,000 machines soon, said Pravin Chhajed, Past International Director of Lion Club.
This project has been a brainchild of Past International Director Pravin Chhajed and on this occasion he said, “In today’s challenging time we are very satisfied with the introduction of portable oxygen machines. Cases of corona are increasing rapidly and I am confident that patients with serious illnesses will definitely get relief from the portable oxygen machine when there are not enough beds available in the hospitals. Various initiatives have been taken by the Lions Club to help people during the pandemic and the portable oxygen machine is just one part of this initiative.”
Lions Club members have come forward in donating the portable oxygen machines. The 5-litre machine is costing Rs. 36,500 and 10-litre machine is costing Rs. 76,500. At present, the club has received donations for 50 such machines for Ahmedabad Centre from the members and the initiative has received tremendous interest from the other members of the society. The club is targeting to increase over 1000 machines in the near future to start with. This oxygen bank will be managed by Lions Karnavati Shantaben Vishnubhai Eye Hospital and can be collected from Lions Hall at Mithakhali in Ahmedabad.
Those who in need of this life-saving oxygen machine can contact 079-84031873 and 079-84031875. It is mandatory to furnish the medical experts prescrioin along with the recommendation of a Lions Club member to avail of this facility. Rs 500 will be charged for home delivery and demo of the machines, added Chhajed.
Similar centers by the Lions Clubs are being started in Gandhidham, Bhuj, Vapi and other centers are also planning across India.
This idea has also been floated to other NGOs and we are happy to note that JITO (International), JAYCEES India, and other local community organizations have started planning similar project across India.
