A COVID-19 patient was asked to plant 10 trees on a discharge summary post-recovery after she spent a week in the ICU in Nagpur.
You have consumed 1,44,000 litre oxygen to recover. Now, plant 10 trees to give it back to nature, the hospital asked a 41-year-old woman who was discharged from Get Well Hospital in the city on April 22, TOI reported.
“I have resolved to plant and conserve even more than 10 trees this year. COVID-19 made me realize the cost and importance of oxygen that we get free of cost from nature,” said the woman.
The hospital has started mentioning the amount of oxygen given to a hospitalized COVID-19 patient with an appeal to plant and conserve at least 10 trees after recovery.
Dr Rajesh Swarnakar, who heads the hospital, said he got the idea from a prescription that went viral on social media recently. “A doctor had specifically written on the prescription that the patient should plant one tree after recovery,” he said.
“The idea was so good. I thought let’s mention the amount of oxygen the patient consumed during hospitalization in the discharge summary. The patient has paid for this amount of oxygen. So, it may help people realize the real cost of oxygen,” said Dr Swarnakar.
He added that people don’t understand the value of oxygen until it us needed desperately and is in short supply.
“We take nature for granted. This is the most appropriate time to make people realize the importance of planting trees which not only give us oxygen to live but also clear the polluted air,” he said.