Hyderabad: Access Foundation offers free oxygen therapy for Covid patients

Hyderabad: The city-based NGO Access Foundation has undertaken an initiative to supply oxygen concentrators for patients in need without charging rent. The concentrators have been of help for patients in home isolation and those going through post-Covid recovery.

Till now Access Foundation distributed 25 oxygen concentrators among Covid patients to assist them in need of Oxygen due to mild to moderate infection, while another more 22 concentrators are due for distribution when they arrive from the UK next week.

The organization has also set up 'Covid War Rooms', an IT- enabled facility for active volunteers including doctors and non- medical staff to assist patients in bed allocation, supply of medicines, and other essentials using real-time chats. Some of these patients are also provided with financial the assistance of Rs 5000 for ration or other expenses during their quarantine period.

Access Foundation President Anees Ayesha said "The foundation has set up oxygen camps outside Gandhi Hospital, TIMS, and Fever Hospital in collaboration with Social Data Initiative Forum (SDIF), Safa Baitul Maal (SBM) where patients are being given free oxygen therapy while they wait for admission into these hospitals. Around 100 patients are being benefitted from this every day."

Additionally, more than 80 oxygen cylinders owned by the foundation are in circulation among Covid patients. The foundation's aim is to provide oxygen cylinders to patients at the earliest as waiting time at refilling stations is quite long due to the recent spike in Covid cases in the state. It is also providing Covid infected patients free online consultations with doctors, in collaboration with SBM and Mahir Charity," she added.

Apart from this, the NGO is currently running 4 ambulances in Hyderabad in collaboration with Maahir Foundation, UK. A 24x7 dedicated helpline 99088 20066 is also set up for ambulance services, which are available free of cost for shifting patients to a government hospital, whereas for a private hospital a nominal fee of Rs 75 per km is levied.