Admin to provide oxygen cylinders to RWAs for setting up Covid care centres

To offset the pressure on hospitals that are burdened with the rising number of seriously ill Covid-19 patients, the district administration has decided to provide oxygen cylinders and concentrators to residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) that are setting up Covid care centres within their condominiums

To offset the pressure on hospitals that are burdened with the rising number of seriously ill Covid-19 patients, the district administration has decided to provide oxygen cylinders and concentrators to residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) that are setting up Covid care centres within their condominiums.

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Officials said that they are reaching out to various stakeholders so that oxygen cylinders and concentrators can be made available to city residents through the RWAs. The city is getting around 45 metric tonnes (MT) of medical oxygen at present, against a demand of 60 MT, said officials.

Yash Garg, the deputy commissioner of Gurugram, said that while they have streamlined the oxygen supply to hospitals to a great extent, the next step was to reduce pressure on the hospital system and this would be done by helping the RWAs set up small Covid care centres. “We will rationalise the oxygen supply and around 150 cylinders will be given to RWAs daily, which are taking care of Covid-19 patients. We are also looking to source oxygen concentrators soon, which shall be given to these RWAs so that the patients can be treated at home or Covid care centres locally. This will reduce pressure on hospitals,” said Garg.

Dharmender Jha, president, Rosewood City RWA, Block D, said, “The decision of the district administration to help the RWAs by providing concentrators and oxygen cylinders would help the patients isolated at home. We would set up a small Covid care facility that can cater to patients who need oxygen support.”

The district administration also launched a token system on Thursday for the distribution of oxygen to Covid-19 patients in home isolation, said Garg. Earlier in the day, the state government on Thursday also asked the deputy commissioners to create a system for providing oxygen supply to all Covid-19 patients and especially those with co-morbidities, who need oxygen at home.

In a related development, the district administration on Thursday also notified rates for essential items, particularly edibles, to ensure there is no black marketing of daily use items. On Wednesday, the Faridabad administration had also notified rates of essential commodities to prevent hoarding.

Deputy commissioner Garg said that directions have been issued to shopkeepers that they should not sell essential commodities more than the maximum retail price. He also directed wholesalers and retailers to display the rate list prominently. “If any shopkeeper is overcharging, then the customers can lodge a complaint and action would be initiated,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Yashpal Yadav, the deputy commissioner of Faridabad, had notified the rates of edibles and essential commodities. “We will not tolerate any hoarding or overcharging of food and other essential items. Action would be taken against such violators,” he said.