Uttarakhand health dept in a spot as state runs out of oximeters, masks

The Uttarakhand state health department allowed home isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and offered kits containing essential health accessories. However but the unavailability of vital equipment like triple-layered masks and oximeter has raised questions about the efficiency of the health department's service.

Dehradun: Uttarakhand government has drawn ire from the public after three-layered masks and oximeters were found missing in the Covid-19 home isolation kits provided state health department.

The is providing the Covid-19 home isolation kit which contains medication for the viral disease, to virus-infected people.

The state health department allowed home isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and offered kits containing essential health accessories. However but the unavailability of vital equipment like triple-layered masks and oximeter has raised questions about the efficiency of the health department's service.

"Earlier, the Covid-19 Home Isolation Kit from Health Department included three-layered face masks, thermometer, hand sanitizer, pulse oximeter, biomedical waste bag, medicines, Zinc vitamin pills, home isolation directory, and manual for post-covid care. But now, pulse oximeters and three-layered face masks have disappeared from the kit," alleged a resident of Dehradun.

"Some days ago, the Covid-19 home isolation kit which contains medication for the viral disease was not reaching thousands of patients in Dehradun because the health workers of the state were busy in removing the image of former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat from the kits. And for such kind of negligence of the health department is making this gloomy situation more difficult," he added.

Speaking to ETV Bharat regarding the issue, an official said that for the last 10 days, oximeters are not available from the CMO office and hence health workers are not able to send oximeters in the Home Isolation Kit.

The official also said that the department will soon deliver three-layered masks to the people.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand reported 4,368 fresh COVID-19 cases, 1,748 recoveries, and 44 deaths in the last 24 hours. While active cases are 35, 864, total recoveries and death toll stand at 1,10,664 and 2,164 respectively.