Tokens to help those in home isolation get oxygen refill

In a major relief to Covid-19 patients who are in home isolation and need oxygen support, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Thursday launched a token system to help individuals get oxygen easily, without standing in long queues

In a major relief to Covid-19 patients who are in home isolation and need oxygen support, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Thursday launched a token system to help individuals get oxygen easily, without standing in long queues. The corporation set up three counters for this purpose at the MCG office in Sector 34, the old MCG office near Sadar Bazar and Sector 42, where residents can avail of tokens.

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Gurugram on Thursday received 45 metric tonnes of medical oxygen from the plants in Panipat, Bhiwadi and Faridabad, said officials.

Officials said they decided to set up the token system and fix oxygen allocation for hospitals after complaints of irregularities in the system. Haryana chief minister on Sunday had also directed the administration to streamline the oxygen distribution system.

Jitender Yadav, administrator, Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Gurugram, who took over the additional charge of MCG on Thursday, said that 90 tokens have been demarcated to be issued to city residents for getting their oxygen cylinders refilled from Star Gas in Manesar. “Initially, these centres will issue 30 tokens each, but the number would be increased depending on the availability of oxygen. We will also make this facility available online, but the number of tokens will depend on the availability of gas,” said Yadav.

To get a token, people will have to submit an RT-PCR test report, Aadhaar card details, address proof and a doctor’s prescription. “The token system will ensure that people will not have to stand in long queues,” said Yadav.

Another step taken by the MCG to streamline oxygen distribution on Thursday was to rationalise the distribution of oxygen to large hospitals and assign distributors to two major oxygen refilling plants. “We have a list of 80 hospitals, out of which around 40 have been asked to get oxygen from their previous distributors through Kalinga and SR oxygen filling plants. Twenty hospitals have been asked to send their vehicles to the Max Air plant. This alignment of hospitals had a positive impact on Thursday and things will improve further,” said Yadav.

The job of filling gas for individual cylinders and smaller hospitals has been assigned to Star Special Gases at Sector 7 in Manesar, said officials.

In another move to resolve the problems being faced by city residents due to the spread of Covid-19, the corporation also set up a control room that will operate round the clock. This call centre will work in three shifts of eight hours each, with three employees managing the work during each shift. The corporation can be contacted at 9821395170 and 9821395171.

“This call centre will hear the issues being raised by city residents as well as elected representatives and raise it with the departments concerned to get it resolved,” said Yadav, who was given the additional charge of MCG on Thursday after the Vinay Pratap Singh, the MCG commissioner, tested positive for Covid-19.