BMC surveys 31K senior citizens, 4K have comorbidities | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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BMC surveys 31K senior citizens, 4K have comorbidities

ByMehul R Thakkar, Mumbai
Apr 28, 2020 09:38 PM IST

In the last two days, 400 teams of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have surveyed 31,872 senior citizens as a part of its efforts to tackle the spread of coronavirus among the senior citizens.

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Out the 31,872 citizens surveyed, over 4,000 senior citizens have comorbidities and around 104 senior citizens have low oxygen level in their blood. The civic body has also started oxygen therapy for the 104 identified senior citizens by taking the help of civic-run hospitals which are currently not treating coronavirus.

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A BMC official said, “We have already issued advisory for senior citizens, but during our survey, we reiterated that they should limit their movement outside their house completely or the very minimal, considering they are more vulnerable to the virus.”

The BMC had last week announced door to door survey for identifying senior citizens, who may be at high risk from Covid-19 due to the higher mortality rate in the age group. The survey was mainly carried out in densely populated slum areas where social distancing is challenging. According to BMC, around 12% of the total senior citizens surveyed reported issues like thyroid, high blood pressure, diabetes asthma etc.

The senior citizens have also been advised to get in touch with BMC, in case of any health-related complications. As per the data of the state health department, the mortality rate among senior citizens is the highest even though the number of maximum patients having the virus is the age group of 21-30. The mortality rate for the age group 21-30 years is 0.6%.

As of Tuesday, the mortality rate of those in the age of 61-70 years was 13%. It was 12.75% for those between the ages of 71-80 years.

The BMC had issued an advisory for senior citizens on Aril 15 after the central government had issued a similar advisory stating that senior citizens are at high risk. The BMC had listed serval do’s and don’t’s for the senior citizens during the lockdown.

This included staying indoors, not to venture out of their homes even to buy essentials, and take help for neighbours for buying the same, continuing to take regular medicines for comorbidities, doing light exercise at home etc.

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