Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Saturday announced that the state is working towards strengthening the infrastructure in its paediatric wards as a preparedness measure to counter a possible third wave of COVID-19. This announcement comes at a time when the state is in the middle of controlling its second wave. Based on the Chief Minister’s directive, the measures have been taken up, the Minister added.
“COVID-19 treatment wards for children are being set up in all hospitals, to stay prepared for a possible third wave,” the Minister told reporters on Saturday. Addressing reporters following his inspection at the ESI Government Hospital in Ayanavaram, Chennai, the Minister added, “75-beds have been set aside for children here. 250 beds are being prepared at Egmore Children’s hospital. Across Tamil Nadu, from Primary Health Care Centres to Zonal Health Care Centres and District Government General Hospitals, COVID-19 treatment beds and beds with oxygen support for children are being prepared.”
According to reports, the Minister also addressed the need for sensitising paediatricians across the state, strengthening infrastructure and ensuring an adequate supply of drugs, needed for paediatric and NICU care. The government is also mulling vaccination of high-risk children on a priority after approval of clinical trials for the paediatric population.
Meanwhile, a study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that there’s high seropositivity among children, and therefore, they are not under greater risk during the possible third wave that may be caused due to the prevailing COVID-19 variant. Sero-positivity is the body's ability to build a natural immune response to viruses.
As of June 19, 2021, 87,336 children under 12 years of age have been infected by COVID-19 in the state. Tamil Nadu at present has 78,780 active COVID-19 cases.