The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has screened about 58,000 senior citizens for COVID-19 symptoms so far, finding 700 of them to have low blood oxygen saturation. Of them, 594 have been treated till now, though they did not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
Nearly 70% of the COVID-19 deaths in Mumbai are of elderly patients with co-morbidities. Lack of timely oxygen support has also turned out to be a key factor in the city’s coronavirus mortality rate.
The BMC recently directed that all isolation and intensive care unit beds must have oxygen support. Besides, it is creating additional oxygen-supported beds in quarantine facilities.
The BMC has also started a door-to-door survey focusing on screening senior citizens. Around 58,000 elderly people have been screened using pulse oximetry in the last two weeks by 400 teams of community health volunteers and ASHAs.
The team found 700 people to have oxygen saturation below 95%, and 594 were treated. As they are vulnerable to the virus, they have been referred for oxygen therapy in designated hospitals. The BMC has set aside 300 beds for oxygen therapy in non-COVID-19 hospitals.
The teams carrying out the survey are also creating awareness among communities on the novel coronavirus, how to take care of senior citizens and where to report symptoms.