Navi Mumbai, May 10: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will focus on children’s health during the possible third wave of Covid-19. The civic chief held a webinar with experts and child specialists to start preparing for children's treatment if they get infected with the viruses.
Civic chief Abhijeet Bangar interacted with eminent doctors of NMMC’s Covid Task Force and paediatricians of Navi Mumbai unit of All India Paediatricians Association, Navi Mumbai, and discussed the planning.
Apart from the civic chief Bangar; Dr. Girish Rajadhyaksha, Head of Medicine Department, Nair Hospital, Mumbai; Honorary Member of Maharashtra State paediatric Task Force Dr. Vijay Yeole; President of All India Paediatric Association, Navi Mumbai Branch Jitendra Gawhane; Secretary Dr. Satish Shahane; Treasurer Dr. Medhai Sinha, among other eminent doctors participated.
In the third wave, it is not necessary that Covid-19 will infect children in large numbers, but it was suggested that the NMMC should make necessary preparations as a precautionary measure.
Although some of the young children tested positive for Covid, most of the positive children will have no symptoms or very few symptoms. However, it was suggested that an adequate number of oxygen beds, ICU beds, and pediatric ventilators should be provided for the treatment of a limited number of children with severe symptoms.
It was also discussed the need to train some of the available medical manpower to work in paediatric wards as well as ICU wards from now on.
“It was also discussed to allow the child's mother or father to stay as a caretaker in the children's ward and the facility in the ward be made as per the need,” said a senior official from NMMC’s Health Department.
The issue of post-covid health problems in some of the children currently recovering from COVID was taken up in the discussion and necessary precautions were discussed.
The experts said that wearing a mask is very important for every child and parents should not only wear the mask themselves but also inculcate the habit of wearing a mask in their child.
“The news that the third wave is going to have a big impact on the children has created an atmosphere of fear in the minds of the parents. However, the paediatrician opined that the situation would not be as serious as we imagined,” said the official, adding that parents need to be made aware of the current situation and reassured.
