BHUBANESWAR: The sale of pulse oximeter, a hand-held battery-operated device that can read pulse and oxygen level, has gone up with most
Covid patients being treated at
home.
Besides, thermometers,
digital sugar scanners and digital sphygmomanometers are vying for space on shelves of most households here. These devices not only provide comfort to the elderly, they help people know if they have mild health issues.
Binay Panigrahi, who deals in medical equipment, most people were not aware of the pulse oximeter till June. “Those who knew bought them at higher prices in the initial stages of the lockdown. I have supplied close to 500 oximeters of different brands.
It is very simple to use,” he said. An oximeter costs anything between Rs 1,500-2,500 depending on the brand.
The capital has seen 17,240 Covid patients getting treated at home. Of these, 15,016 have received recovery certificates. A minuscule 1-2 per cent people in home isolation have required
hospitalization. Oximeter,
thermometer and sugar scanner helped them decide if they needed hospital admission.
K Sridhra Kumar, a medicine specialist, said, “If you have one with you, you can tell doctors your pulse and oxygen level. Without one, it is difficult for doctors to give an opinion. However, its use should be need-based,” he said. Amarendra Mohanty, a medicine shop owner at Indradhanu market, said digital sugar scanners were also in much demand.