Pune: ‘Oximitra’ volunteers across city to check oxygen levels of people to battle COVID-19

Shikha Chaurasia

Pune, August 27, 2020: ‘Oximitra’ project launched across Pune city in which 75 volunteers will become ‘oxygen buddies’ of other people to monitor their oxygen levels to limit the spread and fear of COVID-19 infection. This is an important initiative as a decrease in oxygen levels is one of the first indications of getting infected with the virus.

A decrease in oxygen levels below 92 is a symptom of the novel Coronavirus infection. But many people are failing to monitor these symptoms every day due to which, they don’t realise soon enough if they are positive. Maximum people only realise they are infected when they experience symptoms like loss of breath and/or fever.

To alleviate this problem, Oximitra initiative has spotted areas for check-ups where the infection is likely to spread more such as slum areas where people cannot afford to buy oximeters to monitor their oxygen levels every day and aren’t much aware of the disease and its complications.

The societies where the volunteers come from and other societies nearby will also be monitored.

The initiator of the concept of ‘Oximitra’ and a real estate consultant Abhijit Pardeshi said that there are around 25 volunteers from Kothrud, each will be tasked with checking at least 50 families. If someone’s oxygen level falls below 92, we will alert them and instruct with a further course of action”, he said.

This initiative follows in the footsteps of some social workers in Delhi who started an initiative just like ‘Oximitra’ after the CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal had appealed to the people to keep looking after these symptoms for early detection of the infection.

In order to become a volunteer with ‘Oximitra’, one must have an oximeter, can donate one or can be lent an oximeter to work on the ground. The project is going to expand further with a prospect of over 500 volunteers and will soon kick off officially on a larger scale.