Over 20,000 minors infected, six died so far
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 27 2021: Informing that 20,077 children under the age of 18 years have been infected by Covid-19 and six have died so far, health services director Dr K Rajo said that the third wave of Covid-19 is likely to hit more among the children considering the trend witnessed in first and second wave of the pandemic.

Addressing the weekly press conference on Covid-19 held at the Opthalmic Cell of health directorate office here on Friday, Dr Rajo said that number of patients admitted to hospitals, ICU and CCC has come down substantially with the reduction of new positive cases and it also resulted in fall in daily death cases.

However, the public still need to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour strictly and to speed up the vaccination progress, he said.

With experts cautioning of a third wave, the government has started making preparations to fight the third wave.

There are speculations of the third wave affecting children the most.

In the first wave, the state recorded 3600 confirmed cases among children but in the second wave, the number spiked to 16,477 as of Thursday.

A state task force headed by principal secretary (health) has been formed to tackle the third wave.

The task force has health director, family welfare director, HoDs of RIMS & JNIMS paediatric department, HoDs of community medicine, state paediatricians, and representatives of UNICEF and WHO as members, he said.

The state technical committee has recommended 93 medicines for infant and small children for the third wave.

Centre has provided list of eight critical drugs for use in children in third wave and has released Emergency Response Covid Package (ERCP) for procuring the medicine in advance.

Besides, the government is providing training to its medical officers and staff nurses as the state lacks specialists paediatricians.

Oxygen masks for children have arrived and the department is in the process of buying other equipment.

Reserved beds have been prepared at RIMS, JNIMS, private hospitals and district hospitals, he added.

E-governance Foundation has provided 10 ICU, beds and additional oxygen cylinders have been procured to prevent oxygen shortage.

Oxygen plants have been installed in some districts and similar facilities will be installed in the remaining districts.

The Covid Hospital being constructed at Kyamgei with 150general beds and 50 ICU beds is nearing completion and preparations are on to inaugurate the hospital at the earliest.

Dr Rajo further stressed the need to educate children on following Covid appropriate behaviour in order to minimise the impact.

At the same time, a friendly environment should be created in the family to keep the children mentally strong, he said.

He also appealed to parents to get vaccinated at the earliest.

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