For now, alleged blanket ban on O2 supply for home isolation patients

Delay in RTPCR reports triggers panic, SMS can resolve matter

Jammu: While the government is taking all measures to fight the COVID pandemic particularly to meet the oxygen shortage if any arises, but the decision of administration putting blanket ban on supply of oxygen for home isolation patients have invited criticism from the general public while the delay in RTPCR test reports have also triggered panic and the suspected COVID patients are in limbo over the treatment.

Reliable sources in the administration said that in the wake of oxygen crisis, the government has decided that as of now, the factories and units, filling oxygen cylinders, will not supply them to people in home isolation but instead, entire supply has to be made to the government run hospitals and health institutions especially those treating the COVID patients.

“The officers from administration and the police have been deployed within the premises of every factory/unit to ensure that the supply shall not be made to the people in home isolation and no private cylinders have to be refilled,” sources said.

They further said that in case any COVID patient feels low due to dip in oxygen saturation level, has to be shifted to the COVID dedicated hospitals but the cylinder will not be made available for home isolation.

Meanwhile the decision has invited criticism as many people rued that apart from COVID patients, some non-COVID patients are also undergoing treatment at their residences and in such a situation, how will they get the oxygen in the time of emergency?

“My Taya Ji (Paternal Uncle) is a heart patient and we often give him oxygen before he goes to sleep. Last week the oxygen cylinder got empty and I went to Gangyal to re-fill it but I was neither given a fresh cylinder nor refilled,” Buppi Singh, a student from Satwari said.

He said that the officers outside one of the oxygen factories told him to contact the helpline numbers and added, “the government must find an alternative to this otherwise it will create more chaos in the coming days.”

“Instead of this, those who can be treated in home isolation should be provided the oxygen cylinder as it will also not overcrowd the hospitals, will prevent panic besides the doctors will not be overburdened in treating the patients,” he suggested.

However, another major problem being faced by the people is delay in RTPCR reports being served in 4 to 5 in the government hospitals, which has left so many COVID suspects in limbo.

“I gave my sample on Apr 29 at Government Gandhi Nagar Hospital and was informed to collect the report after two days on May 1 from Jambu Lochan Hall, Karan Nagar,” a patient (name not disclosed) said.

He asserted that on the said date when he visited the spot, he was told to stand in a queue and after around one hour, when reached the counter, he was told that his report was waiting.

“It took me by utter surprise the way the administration is tackling the situation,” he said and added that instead of making people wait for hours, why don’t they paste a date-wise notice about reports available with them.

Another man suggested, “entire world has gone hi-tech and is using technology but the J&K Health and Medical Education Department is still adopting the old techniques.”

“Why the reports cannot be sent on registered mobile numbers against the IDs issued and the same can be downloaded after a single SMS,” he advised.

“God forbid, if out of the COVID suspects standing in the queue, few are infected, how much infection are they spreading?” adding he said, “secondly most important, by the time the suspected patient gets reports, he is in confusion over the treatment to start.”

“If he/she turns to be negative is fine but if declared positive, then by 4-5 days, his condition can deteriorate in case no timely treatment is given and can land him into hospital,” said a suspected patient and appealed to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally intervene into the matter because it can help in preventing spread of the disease.
Updated On 5/4/2021 11:16:01 AM