Covid: Health Dept To Give Free O2 Concentrators To Patients, Health News, ET HealthWorld

Jaipur: Oxygen concentrators, some of which were given by donors while others were procured by the health department during the second wave of COVID in 2021, are now helping to treat patients with silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other diseases their houses.

The health department has issued an order for reducing the refundable cost of oxygen concentrators from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,000. They have to pay Rs 2,000 to get a cylinder and would get Rs 2,000 as a refund while returning the cylinder. That means the cylinder will be available free of cost. The oxygen banks have been created across the state for providing concentrators to the patients for home.

The state government has 40,000 oxygen concentrators lying idle in different districts. For its better use, the health department is now providing these concentrators to the needy patients for home.

“Patients with silicosis, tuberculosis, COPD, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis and sleep apnea and other diseases requiring oxygen therapy can take home oxygen cylinders. After using it, the patients can collect their Rs 2,000 refundable money while returning the oxygen concentrators to the oxygen bank,” said Dr Prithvi, secretary (health), health department.

The oxygen concentrators are being provided to the needy patients on the prescription of government doctors. The patients can collect the concentrators from drug warehouses of the districts. “Those patients who need to get admitted frequently for oxygen therapy can get it at their homes through the oxygen bank.

It will save the money which they have to spent to get it in private hospitals,” said Dr Prem Singh, state nodal officer (oxygen), health department. The oxygen bank in-charge in respective districts provides training to the attendants of patients on how to use the oxygen concentrators and dos and don’ts related to it.