Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and an overburdened healthcare system, a newborn baby’s life in a small Indian town was saved because of the timely supply of an oxygen concentrator. As part of its initiative ProtectAMillion children, a leading NGO Save the Children supplied the 5-liter oxygen concentrator to a special newborn care unit in Tonk of Rajasthan state just in time to save the baby’s precious life.

Taking note of the sudden surge in oxygen demand and the resulting potential stress on our rural healthcare ecosystem, the organization has procured and is distributing 700 oxygen concentrators to public health centers across 11 states.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the NGO has provided critical care and services to underprivileged and marginalized children and their families, impacting more than 5.57L lives.

After the second wave began, the organization scaled up implementing its initiatives across 57 districts in 12 states and two union territories, aiming to reach the interiors of India where the healthcare system is fragile and ill-equipped, it said in a release.

The NGO is providing oxygen support, medical aid, distributing Covid care kits, hygiene kits, at-home care and teleconsultation.

To tackle the growing child protection cases, a common fallout of any crisis, the organization has been linking and referring all cases of children in need of care and protection to relevant government authorities and statutory structures such as CHILDLINE 1098 and National/State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Additionally, it is running trauma helplines for children in certain states, and on average 80 calls are recorded daily,  the release added.

(SAM)