JAIPUR: Oxygen banks are coming up across Rajasthan to help people take home oxygen concentrators for patients facing difficulties in breathing. These oxygen banks will be run by the state health department. The oxygen concentrators will be provided to the needy patients on the basis of doctor’s prescription.
Not only Covid, patients but also those suffering from neurological problems or other lung diseases will be able to get oxygen concentrators from these banks. During the second Covid wave, a lot of NGOs and social workers put their efforts to provide oxygen concentrators to patients at homes, in case they did not find a bed in hospital. But it is for the first time that the state government has taken a decision on creating oxygen banks in all the districts.
“We are preparing a detailed guideline on oxygen banks. It will help the patients undergoing treatment at home,” said Siddharth Mahajan, secretary (health).
In the guidelines, the health department will define whether the service would be free of cost or the health department will give it on rent. Also, it will be defined how a patient at home can avail the benefit.
Directions for preparing the guidelines were issued during a meeting held on June 29 chaired by principal secretary, health department.
During second wave of Covid, the health department had to work hard for providing oxygen for patients facing difficulty in breathing. Taking lessons from the second wave, the health department is not only ensuring availability of oxygen facilities in rural areas, but also ensuring that patients at home should not face difficulty in getting oxygen concentrators.
The state government is taking measures to become self-reliant in oxygen generation as it is planning to produce 1,000 metric tonnes in times to come with oxygen generation plants being set up by various institutions and through other equipment.
Medical facilities are being expanded by selecting more than 350 Community Health Centres (CHCs) in the state looking at the apprehensions of a third wave of Covid. Availability of oxygen and other equipment is being ensured at these centres, the officials said.
