Will Provide Pulse Oximeter To Each Patient To Monitor O2 Level At Home, Says Kejriwal

Will Provide Pulse Oximeter To Each Patient To Monitor O2 Level At Home, Says Kejriwal

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  23.06.2020

With almost half of the total active Covid-19 patients currently under home isolation, Delhi government has decided to give each of them a pulse oximeter to regularly monitor their oxygen level, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday. He added that facilities had been ramped up and the number of people being tested daily had been increased from 5,000 to 18,000.

Kejriwal said the novel coronavirus affects the respiratory system leading to a sudden drop in the oxygen level in the body, thereby resulting in breathlessness. With pulse oximeter, a device clipped onto the fingertip, a patient can monitor the oxygen level every couple of hours.

Patients can return the device to the government after they have recovered. A pulse oximeter costs between Rs 1,000-3,000. Delhi government has planned to procure about one lakh such devices.

Doctors say the normal oxygen level in the body is 95-100%, but if it drops to 90% or below, the patient can require hospitalisation.

The CM said a helpline number would soon be provided where patients under home isolation would be able to call for help after a fall in the oxygen level. “Every district will have oxygen concentrators. A team will carry a concentrator to you to regulate your oxygen level. If required, you will be immediately shifted to a hospital,” he added.

According to the health bulletin released on Sunday, Delhi had 23,820 active Covid-19 cases of which 12,106 were in home isolation.

Delhi government, with the help of the Centre, has started using antigen kits for rapid testing of suspect corona patients, which gives results in 15-30 minutes. While about 5,000 people were being tested earlier per day, the CM said that the number had been increased to 18,000 daily in the last one week. He added that some labs were earlier involved in “unacceptable” activities and showing positive results of uninfected people. “Action was taken against them. Now, all labs have been directed to work to their full capacity in a fair manner,” Kejriwal said.

The number of people needing hospitalisation had also decreased, the CM said, adding that 6,200 beds were currently occupied and about 7,000 were vacant. On June 12, 5,300 beds were occupied, which meant only 900 more beds were used in the last 10 days even though the number of cases had surged by 23,000.

“This means either the number of new patients being admitted in the hospitals is the same as those recovering or very few actually require hospitalisation,” the CM said.

Urging all political parties to rise above their differences and work together in this time of crisis, Kejriwal said this was not the time to play politics. “If we fight each other, we will lose our battle against corona,” he added.

Taking a swipe against China, the CM said that people and political parties must stand united against the most populous country. Supporting the Centre on the face-off against China in Ladakh, he added that India was fighting two battles — one by doctors and nurses against the virus spread by the neighbouring country and the second by soldiers at the border.

“Twenty of our soldiers laid down their lives, but didn’t step back. The country will never retract its steps in the fight against the virus,” Kejriwal said.

WAR ON CORONA: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said in the past week, 18,000 were being tested daily in the city against 5,000 earlier

KEJRIWAL SAYS

With pulse oximeter, a device clipped onto the fingertip, a patient can monitor the oxygen level every couple of hours