Apprehending a spike in COVID-19 cases among the children, the Health Department has made elaborate arrangements to handle any possible situation in the district.
Additional paediatric ICUs, beds and ventilators will be made available while assistant surgeons and staff nurses will be given training in ventilator and ICU management.
“At present, we have more paediatric cases compared to previous months. After a discussion with Indian Academy of Paediatrics, all main government hospitals in Kollam have been instructed to add extra beds. Since we expect a surge, neonatal ICUs, ICU beds, and step-down ICUs will be made available, and the numbers will be increased depending on the requirement. Extra facilities will be arranged in Government Medical College Hospital, District Hospital, and various taluk hospitals,” said Dr R. Sandhya, Deputy DMO.
The department is also planning to vaccinate maximum number of parents whose children are under the age of 12. All Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been directed to collect the data of parents in four categories based on the age of their children that include zero to one, one to five, six to 12 and 13 to 18. All orphanages and shelter homes will be given a special protocol and each home will be linked to a paediatrician. Exclusive COVID First-Line Treatment Centre (FLTCs) and COVID Second-Line Treatment Centre (SLTCs) will be opened for children while special attention will be given to tribal and migrant communities.
“Surveillance will be strengthened when it comes to pediatric fever cases and we are also planning to spread awareness in coordination with the Education Department,” she adds. The department will open reverse quarantine centres in four places to shift children whose parents test positive. “Children, the only category who are not vaccinated, will be vulnerable during the third wave. All these measures are being implemented to protect them," she added. At present restrictions similar to triple lockdown are in force at all local bodies in the district that reported a test positivity rate above 20.
