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Gurugram: Health dept to distribute pulse oximeters to Covid-19 patients
Gurugram: The district health department has procured 500 pulse oximeters, which it plans to distribute to Covid-19 patients, especially elderly patients, in large
Gurugram: The district health department has procured 500 pulse oximeters, which it plans to distribute to Covid-19 patients, especially elderly patients, in large outbreak regions (LORs) to facilitate early medical intervention in case of an emergency. The move is a key intervention to stave off sudden Covid-19 related deaths, health officials said, adding that there have been close to 10 such deaths in Gurugram so far.
“The infection causes acute respiratory distress syndrome, which lowers the patient’s oxygen saturation level. Pulse oximeters will be given to select patients, particularly older people, so that they can monitor the level of oxygen in the blood. If the saturation level of a patient dips to below 90%, we will immediately send an ambulance and give him/her oxygen therapy,” said Dr Jai Prakash Sharma, district surveillance officer, Gurugram.
The officials said that the pulse oximeter, a small device that can be clipped onto the index finger tip, can play a significant role in reducing Covid-19 deaths by early detection of reducing lung function (a telltale Covid-19 symptom).
“We will instruct patients on how to use the device. All our rapid response teams, which are doing door-to-door surveys in large outbreak regions, will be carrying the oximeters. When deemed necessary, they will be provided to patients,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurugram.
With positive cases of coronavirus disease crossing the 7,000-mark, the district administration on Wednesday announced nine new LORs and put them under lockdown till July 28. As per the order issued by the administration, the newly identified LORs include Rajiv Nagar, Om Nagar (Shivaji Nagar and Shanti Nagar), Nathupur (Ravinder Nath slum, Shamshan Ghat slum), Laxman Vihar ( Dayanand Colony), Block-H Palam Vihar, Feroz Gandhi Colony (Madanpuri, Baldev Nagar) and Patel Nagar (Nai Basti and Arjun Nagar).
Till Saturday, Gurugram reported a total of 7,594 Covid-19 cases while 114 people have died due to the infection so far.
The district surveillance officer said that the Delhi government, too, has adopted their use in response to the epidemic. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the national capital has been able to “minimise deaths” of Covid-19 patients in home isolation with the help of pulse oximeters. “If patients detect their oxygen is falling, they reach out to us for help. We immediately send oxygen concentrators to their home or take them to a hospital,” Kejriwal had tweeted recently.
