School Buses Modified into Oxygen Buses: Elixir of Life Reaches Patients in All Possible Forms

It’s been over a year since the children went to school. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to maintain the existing facilities at a certain cost but remain shut nonetheless. In a rather smart move, Greenwood High International School of Bengaluru has collaborated with Maharaja Agrasena Hospital and modified their school buses into oxygen buses.

Initially 5 buses have been modified, and depending on the response, more buses are expected to be added in future. Dr Satish Kumar Jain, Chairman, Maharaja Agrasena Hospital explains the oxygen bus set up: “Each bus will have 2 oxygen cylinders of 73 liters capacity. A pipeline has been laid on the inner part of the bus across the seats. Each seat will have necessary apparatus like oxygen mask, regulators, etc. One trained technical person from hospital will be present in the bus along with few volunteers. The buses are now stationed before government hospital.”

“Whenever there are patients who are in need of oxygen waiting outside hospital, they are brought in and helped inside the bus. We are expecting that such patient will need this facility for around 2 hours and hospital can make necessary arrangements by then. We are buying some time for the patient and the hospital. Two models of buses of 8 and 12 seats each are used for this arrangement now. Patients should either bring RTPCR report or doctor’s prescription along with Aadhar card to avail this facility. Since this is an AC bus, once in 8 hours the bus will have to stop and take a break so that the engine remains in good condition,” explains Dr Jain.

Earlier, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation aka BMTC had converted one of its buses into oxygen bus. After the school’s noble initiative, several other private schools are also enquiring at hospitals if similar set up can be provided for their buses as well. Everyone joining hands to beat the common enemy is definitely appreciated.

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