Those facing problems even after ICU recovery to get oxygen concentrators

New Delhi: Delhi government has kept two oxygen concentrators each at its 300 dispensaries and 10 each at every chief district medical officer’s office to offer people free short-term oxygen therapy at home if they report low saturation levels even after recovering from Covid-19 at ICUs.

Several officials at 11 districts said they were ready to install oxygen concentrators for free at recovered patients’ homes if required. This device generates oxygen from room air.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the move in his Independence Day speech. The government already provides oximeters to check oxygen levels of patients under home isolation.

“The devices will be installed in the houses of the patients who will report an oxygen saturation level below 93% in two consecutive readings and less than 93% saturation after three minutes of ambulation and nocturnal hypoxia (sleep-related breathing disorder),” said a health official.

“The number of devices is adequate because not many people will require them. The devices are for people who have returned from ICU but are still reporting low oxygen saturation levels,” he added. People who are in home isolation or have recovered at home will be taken to hospital in such cases.

District officials have been trained to administer the domiciliary short-term oxygen therapy. “The patients who recover from ICU will be given the contact number of the nearest government dispensary for seeking help,” said Dr Neeraj Roy, district surveillance officer for West district.

According to the standard operating procedure, the patients who are discharged from Covid-ICU need to contact the nearest dispensary for oximeters. All of them will self-monitor their oxygen levels every six hours for 14 days after discharge and maintain a written record.

The district teams will install the concentrator at the patients’ homes and guide them about its operations. Voter ID cards will serve as the address proof for verification of a person who needs an oxygen concentrator. “The patients will be given numbers of the officials concerned whom they can contact in case the medical device breaks down,” said an official.