Home quarantined patients heave a sigh of relief

Vadodara: Hundreds of Covid positive Barodians quarantined in the home were on the edge for many hours on Monday. The sudden decision by authorities to stop oxygen supply for those under home-based Covid care left the Coronavirus patients and their family members destressed. They heaved a sigh of relief by evening when the office on special duty (OSD) Vinod Rao put the decision on hold after a meeting with MLAs and MP.
“It is a relief as we will now be able to supply oxygen to the needy. I don’t know why such an abrupt decision was taken to stop oxygen for home-based Covid care. It created so much panic among the Covid patients and their relatives. We got so many calls for oxygen bottles on Monday and had to turn away the needy,” said Sandeep Kharadi who runs Ma Khodiyar Foundation that is giving oxygen bottles for free to the home quarantined patients.
To rationalize use of oxygen, Rao had issued a notification on Sunday wherein 164 small hospitals that were designated as Covid hospitals were asked to not admit patients needing oxygen therapy. The notification also included stopping oxygen to home quarantined Covid patients. Many Barodians started making panic calls to the hospitals on Monday to find out if beds equipped with oxygen are available.
A resident of Gorwa, whose grandmother is under home-based Covid care, said, “We understand the need to rationalize use of oxygen. But what will the old patients who are quarantined at home and need oxygen do? They won’t get hospital bed at short notice.”
Member of another social organization that is supplying oxygen to the needy for free said, “The decision to stop oxygen supply for home quarantined patients led to a momentary panic on Monday. It is good that the notification has been put on hold.”