PATNA: When Bihar faced a shortage of oxygen cylinders due to the growing positive cases of COVID-19, some good samaritans opened more than 20 private oxygen cylinder banks to provide free services to the people tested positive with the infection.
The first free oxygen cylinder bank for COVID-19 patients under home quarantine was set up by the Marawari Seva Sammittee with 21 cylinders in July.
Thereafter, a good Samaritan of Patna, Guarav Rai, who faced hardship in getting an oxygen cylinder when he was postive in PMCH, set up Bihar’s first ‘Mobile Oxygen Cylinders’ bank after getting cured.
The 45-year-old still runs the oxygen cylinders bank from his car in which he travels with cylinders and reaches the house the people in need of it.
"Till date, I have set up free oxygen cylinder banks in districts including Patna and others. To begin, I have had to face a lot of financial problem when my entire bank savings died up in purchasing cylinders for free services to the COVID-19 positive patients," he said.
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He said that some local benevolent people have come forward and provided cylinders purchased with their money for services.
The Bihar foundation, working with Bihar government, has also set up an oxygen bank and it was inaugurated recently by working chairperson of Bihar state legislative council Awadhesh Kumar Singh, who was also affected by COVID-19 earlier.
In Ara and many other districts, some locals have set up oxygen banks, the Ara district unit of BJP had also set up one.
In Vaishali, an oxygen cylinder bank named after leader of opposition, Tejashawi Oxygen cylinder bank, has been set up.
Medical sources said that more than 20 private oxygen cylinders banks are functioning as of now in the state and providing free services to the coronavirus patients.
Meanwhile, principal secretary of health department Pratyay Amrit said that there is no shortage of oxygen cylinders in Bihar now.
"There are around 16,194 B-type of oxygen cylinders, 7094 D-type, 152 cryogenic oxygen plants and 2250 total number of oxygen concentrators in Bihar," he said.