Social bodies launch drive to collect oximeters from Covid survivors

Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 3

Office-bearers and activists of various social organisations have launched a coordinated movement to collect pulse oximeters from Covid survivors, who have been provided Fateh kits by the Health Department during their home quarantine after testing positive for the disease earlier.

The initiative followed after the civil administration appealed to the public to help the Health Department by providing pulse oximeters due to surge in Covid patients during the second wave of the pandemic.

The Mandi Ahmedgarh SDM, Dev Darashdeep Singh, had appealed to residents to cooperate with the administration and donate pulse oximeters after recycling kits once used by Covid survivors.

“The government had provided Fateh kits containing oximeters, steam inhalers and digital thermometers, besides other consumable components to a large number of coronavirus patients quarantined at their homes last year. Now, when the administration is facing shortage, we request Covid survivors to return oximeters lying idle at their homes,” the SDM said.

The Rotary Club president, Tarsem Garg, said, “Teams of volunteers have started visiting places of residents willing to return their oximeters, which were once provided to them by the Health Department during their home quarantine due to Covid infection.”

“We have also coordinated with the authorities in the Health Department and asked them to provide us details of residents, who have been given Fateh kits,” he added.

Remarkably, the pulse oximeter is one of many items in the Fateh kit, which is provided to Covid patients under home isolation. Its market price has increased sharply during the past few weeks. Moderate quality oximeters are presently available for Rs2,000 to 2,200 in the open market. The Health Department, owing to the ongoing shortage, is either supplying Fateh kits sans oximeters or trying to recycle used pulse oximeters.

Azaz Ali, coordinator for pursuing issues related with home quarantined Covid patients at the local Civil Hospital, acknowledged the shortage of oximeters. “However we have not received any oximeter or other component of kit from any Covid survivor till now,” he said.

Identities of residents, who received Fateh kits earlier, would be provided to enthusiasts only after taking permission of the higher authorities in the department, he added.