Free oxygen concentrators for COVID-19 patients

The K. Santha Cancer Foundation has undertaken an initiative to supply oxygen concentrators for patients in need without charging rent.

The concentrators have been of help for patients in home isolation and those going through post-COVID recovery, a functionary of the foundation said.

The project, called Swasam O2, will be given to patients after a series of checks are done by a team of doctors on the condition of the patient.

The concentrators are not emergency care equipment, but will be used for patients who have been discharged from hospital, but need to be on oxygen support for a few more days to fully recover, patients who have been advised home isolation and require some oxygen to stabilize, or patients who are unable to get a bed at any hospital and need oxygen while waiting.

Ten such concentrators are available and would be given to patients after a vetting process. The patient’s attender should provide the details of the patient along with their medical history, following which they would be asked to visit the G. Vishwanathan Group of Hospitals in Mambalasalai. “At the hospital, a preliminary check would be done, following which the patient would be asked to consult an in-house pulmonologist, who would then allocate a concentrator to the patient,” K. Govindaraj, Director, G. Vishwanathan Group of Hospitals said.

Patients have been asked to use the concentrator for a period of five days, after which they must hand it over to the foundation. “Once returned, we dispose the oxygen mask and the concentrator is sterilized before being given to another patient,” he said.

A team of volunteers take care of the logistics of the project. “We initially began with only two concentrators, but friends and well-wishers have donated eight more,” he said.

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