Residents, RWAs pool resources to overcome shortage of beds, medicines, O2

Residents and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in Gurugram are assembling resources to help Covid-19 patients amid an acute shortage of beds, medicines, and oxygen supply among others

Residents and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in Gurugram are assembling resources to help Covid-19 patients amid an acute shortage of beds, medicines, and oxygen supply among others. As per the district administration data, the city recorded 63,720 fresh Covid-19 cases between April 1 and May 1 — more than what was recorded in 12 months of the pandemic put together.

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The first Covid-19 case in Gurugram was reported on March 17, 2020, and the city cumulatively recorded 63,313 cases till March 31 this year. The surge in the cases has been leading to an acute shortage of beds for Covid-positive patients since mid-April. Of the city’s 1,522 oxygen beds, 550 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, and 198 ventilator beds in 43 Covid-19 hospitals, there were no oxygen, ICU or ventilator beds as of Tuesday night, according to the Gurugram Covid Combat Companion (GC3) — a real-time portal managed by the district administration.

Availability of vaporisers, oximeters, multivitamins, and selected cough and cold medicines have also taken a hit due to panic-bulk buying, and a general rise in demand. Shortage of oxygen has also been a major crisis, with at least 15 deaths due to non-availability of oxygen in the city last week, according to the private hospitals.

Now, to mitigate the situation in Carlton Estate 1, a condominium in DLF 5, residents and the RWA have formed a Covid-19 medicine bank where medicines from recovered Covid-19 patients within the condominium are being collected and donated to other Covid-positive residents struggling to procure medicines. The RWA has also procured an oxygen concentrator for residents to be used during emergencies, which they said will be functional within a few days. “Our condominium has reported more than 70 Covid-19 cases since April, and a significant number of residents have recovered from the infection. At present, there are 42 apartments with active Covid-19 cases, and many patients reported difficulties in procuring the related medicines. So, to aid them, the RWA and residents came together and urged recovered Covid-19 patients to donate medicines that are being collected and stored within the condominium and are distributed among those in need,” said Pawan Tharwani, president, Carlton Estate Condominium Association (CECA).

After struggling to secure a hospital bed and essential medicines for his Covid-19 positive father, Vishal Singh — a resident of Sahara Grace Condominium in Sector 28 — set up a temporary Covid-19 facility at a vacant space in the clubhouse last week. The facility has five beds, two nurses, amenities like 12 oxygen cylinders, oximeters, oxygen concentrators, and food supply for in-house residents. “My father had tested Covid positive in Allahabad last month, and being here, I could not do anything to help him to secure basic amenities like hospital beds and medicines. The anxiety kept my whole family awake for days, till his condition was stable. I realised I had to do something to help people in whatever possible ways, and I decided to approach my housing complex to start the five-bed oxygen supported Covid-19 care facility,” said Singh, adding that the housing society reported around 75 fresh Covid-19 cases during the second wave.

Last week, the RWA of Fresco Apartments also procured an oxygen concentrator for its residents during emergencies. “On an average, the oxygen concentrator is used by two to three residents daily. It has helped them in breathing. Recently, a senior citizen in our housing society could not find a hospital bed for nearly two days, she used the device during the interim to control her dipping oxygen level. The device has proved to be lifesaver, especially for residents who have been waiting for ambulances or getting a bed in Covid-19 hospitals,” said Nilesh Tandon, president, Fresco Apartments RWA.