The Oxygen Bank continues to provide tanks and not only for covid-19 patients

In March 2020, a citizen initiative was born that allows people who need it due to a disease, get a full oxygen tank for free with the commitment that once it is no longer in use, it will be returned filled and sealed.

The covid-19 pandemic promoted this cause, which arose with the aim of help and stop corruption by overpricing tanks, explains Catherine Medranda, who together with other volunteers created the Oxygen Bank.

Although the Oxygen Bank was founded in Guayaquil, with the contact of well-known people they were able to extend this service to Quito as well. Medranda mentions that they talked about this initiative with people from Loja and Cotacachi, but that the initial group of volunteers only has control over the first two cities mentioned.

The demand for oxygen tanks due to covid-19 cases fell dramatically in recent months, according to data managed by the Oxygen Bank. Medranda indicates that last July they requested two tanks for patients with coronavirus, in August 1; in September and October none and, yesterday, received a request for a married couple again, to those who were told that they may need an oxygen tank.

Banco de Oxygen, a citizen initiative based on honesty, trust and solidarity in times of pandemic

Given this, and with the intention of continuing to help, the volunteers of the Oxygen Bank they contacted Solca doctors from the paleative care area, where they refer patients who are in their final days.

“As they are the ones who take care of this area, when they identify a patient they have to send him home and requires an oxygen tank, they give them our contact ”, indicates the co-founder of the initiative.

In this way they have been able to help various people, including: a girl with cancer who required a portable oxygen tank to go to medical check-ups or tests, and was able to get it through the Oxygen Bank.

Banco de Oxygen de Guayaquil: ‘We are a group of people who came together to help’

“There are days when we don’t really have any requirements, but today (yesterday), for example, three people from Solca wrote to me, referenced by one of the doctors who works there ”, Medranda mentions. “The satisfaction is that if these people need, we can help them not to spend more than what they are already spending; in addition to the fact that patients can have a better quality of life in their last days, because sometimes family members, with very few financial resources, cannot get a tank ”.

How to contribute to the Oxygen Bank?

He adds that at the moment they have oxygen tanks in their inventory, but that they exist various ways in which citizens who wish can collaborate with the Oxygen Bank to continue helping more people.

“It could be by donating kits, we have few, I think it’s $ 80 a kit, so people who need the tank can use it. Another way to help is with recharges, ”he says.

Although the refueling companies charge between $ 25 and $ 30 to refill a 6 cubic meter tank, Medranda indicates that they have a verbal agreement with the company Gasecsa, which charges them $ 15. “If someone wants to help, they could pay for recharges. They would not give us the money but instead deposit it directly into the Gasecsa account and we are assigning these recharges to people with low resources who need them, ”he explains.

In Quevedo, free medical oxygen is offered for COVID-19 patients and other diseases

He adds that they had a case in which for a person four tanks were recharged every two days, which meant a very high expense for their family members, for this reason the prepayment of the recharges becomes a great help in this type of situation.

Those who wish to collaborate can contact the contact number: 099-815-9003. (I)