All hospitals are being instructed they must not reject children infected with Covid-19 and must also have on hand suitable medication for their treatment.
Traisuree Taisaranakul, deputy government spokeswoman, said on Monday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had ordered the Public Health Ministry to ensure public and private hospitals do not refuse admission to children infected with the coronavirus.
She said hospitals must prioritise services for their young patients.
"The prime minister is concerned about the reported case of a hospital rejecting a child. He asked the Public Health Ministry to arrange for the efficient admission or referral of this group of patients, because children have lower immunity from not having been vaccinated like adults," Ms Traisuree said.
Her comments follow reports that a couple in Nonthaburi province could not find a hospital that would immediately admit their eight-month-old grandchild for treatment. The child had been infected with Covid-19 by its parents and had a fever and low blood oxygen levels.
It was reported that hospital staff had told them to queue and wait their turn.
The prime minister had ordered the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health to admit all Covid-19-infected children whatever the severity of their symptoms, and to advise hospitals nationwide on treatment for the young and the preparation of liquid favipiravir antiviral medication for them, the spokeswoman said.
She also advised parents to avoid taking their children to crowded places and to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 themselves, to reduce the chance of their youngsters being infected.
