Vishwajit rules out oxygen scarcity, increase in price
MARGAO: Ruling out the possibility of any oxygen scarcity or abnormal rise in price of oxygen in the state, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday said that the State has taken steps on the lines of neighbouring steps of Maharashtra and Karnataka to prevent oxygen from going out to other States.
Rane put to rest apprehensions raised in certain quarters over the availability of oxygen as well as the price rise, saying the district Collector will be told to issue directions to a unit at the Verna Industrial estate to make available oxygen supply to the government without much problem.
“The government is the highest buyer of oxygen in the state. I do not expect any abnormal rise in price of oxygen in times of Covid”, he said.
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MARGAO
The government has effected some changes in the protocol for home isolated Covid patients, with Goa Medical College Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar saying that the pouch to be provided to home isolated patients will be akin to a small clinic at home.
Dr Bandekar said the biggest advantage of the pouch is that it will not only stop the spread of the virus but, will reduce the present viral load. He said the concept has successfully worked in Uttar Pradesh and in neighbouring Bangaldesh.
He said the pouch will now contain monitoring kits such as oximeters and thermometers, and medicines including immunity boosters such as Vitamin C and Z, and paracetamol, but will contain medicines wherein patients with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes and cardiac issue will not go into a State of pneumonia.
“The biggest advantage of this pouch is that it will stop the spread the virus and reduce the viral load”, Dr Bandekar said.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the new protocol for patients opting for home isolation has been worked out after much discussions and deliberations.
That’s not all. The Health Minister said that trained Ayush and Homeopathic doctors will be posted at the community health centres, Primary and urban health centres to help the patients opting for home isolation and monitor their condition.
Rane said that the record of every home isolated patient, including his oximeter and thermometer reading will be digitized, with the help of Goa Electronics Ltd. “Every day, the patient’s oximeter and thermometer reading will be monitored by the PHC. The doctors will speak to the patients and suggest follow up. If someone’s oximeter level is falling, they have to just walk for six minutes and check again. If the rate is still falling, they have to take up the matter with the PHC or UHC”, he said.
Rane said the new system has been put in place since people are now preferring home isolation to avoid stigma, but had no mechanism how to monitor their condition on a daily basis.
