Anticipating the third COVID-19 pandemic wave, Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday suggested creating pediatric COVID care ward in Mumbai. He met Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Municipal Commissioner (AMC) Sanjeev Jaiswal and discussed the measures taken in order to prepare for the third wave.
"As we prepare for 3rd wave capacity building in Maharashtra, I met AMC @SJaiswal_IAS ji to discuss the measures we’ve undertaken in Mumbai. I have suggested to him that we create a paediatric covid care ward anticipating the next wave and the demographic it may target," Thackeray tweeted.
"Along with paediatric COVID care centre, another aspect we are now focussed on is to create a network of crèches for those parents who may have to be in COVID care centres and may not have support to look after their children, that aren’t infected by COVID," he added.
This comes after the prediction by many experts that the third COVID-19 wave is likely to hit kids badly. "Third wave could be more serious for children from 0 to 18 years of age. The 0-18 age group consists of 30% of total population of India and herd immunity is impossible without vaccinating such a major part,” Paediatrician and vice-president of Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) Dr Vinky Rughwani told TOI.
Aaditya Thackeray further added that more 6500 oxygen beds and approximately 1500 more ICU/ HDU beds will be added in the next few days at the new Jumbo COVID centres coming up in the financial capital.
"The @mayor_mumbai @KishoriPednekar ji, my colleague and fellow guardian minister @AslamShaikh_MLA ji and I are committed to build capacity in the city, while we also ensure safety of citizens with covid appropriate behaviour measures," he added.
