Steel City outfit rents out oxygen cylinders for 8.5k

Jamshedpur: A city-based NGO’s unique initiative to help out the Covid patients in home isolation by providing oxygen cylinders to them against a security deposit of Rs 8,500 is being lapped up like anything.
Ever since its launch on August 4, of the 1,000 patients undergoing treatment at home in the district, All India Marwari Yuva Manch (AIMYM) has helped out 68 patients in areas like Potka, Seraikela, Ghatshila and Chaibasa, among others.
A Bistupur resident preferring anonymity said she availed the service for her father in-law, an asymptomatic patient in home isolation, to avoid admitting him to a hospital. “My father in-law is a cardiac patient who recently tested positive for Covid-19. We decided to keep an oxygen cylinder at home upon the doctor’s advice,” said the 43-yeear-old woman whose husband works at Tata Steel.
Currently, the outfit is operating with 15 cylinders but in view of the spike in demand, it is planning to increase the number to 50 by mid-September. “In the wake of increasing demand for the oxygen cylinders, we have decided to increase the bank strength to 50 for the time being,” AIMYM functionary Prakash Sharma said. He added, “Some NGO members are helping us out with funds to buy the cylinders.”
Usually, it costs Rs 9,250 to buy an oxygen cylinder and Rs 350 for refilling it.
Another AIMYM functionary named Sandeep Agarwal said the cylinders are being rotated every two days on an average and there is no issue in refilling them. “Even though it costs Rs 350 to refill the cylinder, we are not charging the beneficiaries for refilling them,” he added.
Besides catering to the Covid patients, the outfit is also helping out those suffering from asthma and cardiac complications as many have requested for their service.