Mumbai civic body starts therapy for 1,615 senior citizens with low oxygen levels

In a bid to reduce the Covid-19 mortality rate, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has screened 2,42,653 senior citizens since April 25 and identified

In a bid to reduce the Covid-19 mortality rate, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has screened 2,42,653 senior citizens since April 25 and identified 1,615 of them till Sunday, whose blood oxygen saturation level is below 95%. BMC has now started oxygen therapy for those with low oxygen levels at designated hospitals.

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The civic body’s data has revealed that of all Covid-19 deaths in the city, 67% cases had been of those suffering from comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, heart ailments and chronic respiratory diseases, and a majority of these cases are of those above the age of 60-70 years.

To identify those in the high-risk category, BMC’s 400 teams of community health volunteers and Asha (accredited social health activist) workers have started door-to-door surveys, focusing on screening of senior citizens, using pulse oximeters.

“This screening method is very important, as we have been able to identify more than 1,600 vulnerable senior citizens and successfully provide them medical treatment at the right time. Our teams have visited around 14,07,726 houses and screened 2.42 lakh senior citizens. Without this screening method, it would have been difficult to control the mortality rate in the age group of 60 years and above,” said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy director, BMC health department.

The teams carrying out the survey are also creating awareness among locals on the outbreak, how to take care of senior citizens, and where to report if a resident develops symptoms.

Of the 67% cases in which patients who died had comorbidities, 26% had diabetes, 24% hypertension, while 32% had both, diabetes and hypertension. Around 8% of these patients had heart ailments, while the remaining 10% had other comorbidities.