On government orders, North Bengal revamps health framework

SNS, SILIGURI, 7 JUNE 21: Apprehending a possible third wave of Covid-19 and amid assumptions that it will mostly affect children, the state health department has laid emphasis on revamping the infrastructure, including addition of beds in hospitals, and procurement of pediatric ventilators and pulse oximeters across the state. The department is also planning to impart training to all doctors to deal with children's issues, it is learnt.

"The purpose is to increase the bed strength in government-run hospitals for children suffering from Covid-19. We have planned to revamp the infrastructure of the pediatric intensive care units (PIM), and high dependency units (HDU) at hospitals. There will be 250-300 bed arrangements at the PICU for Covid- hit children. It may be increased by up to 500 if required. There will be 500 HDUs primarily and that will be increased up to 1000. There will he 800 beds for serious Covid-19 children that can he extended up to 1,500," said the director of health services, health and family welfare department ,Ajoy Chakraborty, according to reports.

Health officials in north Bengal have said that they are working as per instructions from the department and that the required set-up will be ready very soon.

There are 2,543 beds in 69 Sick Neonetal Care Units (SNCU).

According to Dr Chakraborty, there will be arrangements for 80 separate ventilators for children.

"This apart, there are neonatal ventilators at NICUs and SNCUs. Altogether, arrangements are being made for 300-500 pediatric ventilators," he said.

The health department will increase the number of beds from 40 percent to 60 percent--where mothers can stay with their babies in view of the possible third wave. Earlier, around 26,000 such beds had been arranged for.

It has also focused on other key issues, like procuring pediatric pulse oximeter, as the normal electronic device that clips on to a fingertip to indirectly measure the oxygen saturation of a patient's blood, is unable to fit the children's fingers.

Each district will have a pediatric unit and there are plans to set up HDU close to the facilities where BiPap and high-flow oxygen will be arranged for, the department has said.

Health experts have projected that the devastating second wave of Covid-19 might peter out by the end of June or early July and have said that precautionary steps should be taken to keep children safe and that necessary arrangements should be made within a gap of two-three months before the probable another surge. "As no vaccine in India is approved for children, it makes them more vulnerable to contracting the infection from their family members," an expert has said.

According to Dr Chakraborty, in the first and second waves, around three percent of children (up to 12 years) have been infected.

He said that among the 20,000 total daily infected persons in the state, less than 200 children had been hospitalized. Around 400-500 children might need hospitalisation according to that estimate and five percent Critical Care Unit and 10 percent HDU might be required.

Meanwhile, the officer on special duty of public health. north Bengal, Dr Susanta Kumar Roy, said they were expecting that the infrastructure in the region will be readied within July.

"The state health department has asked us to create at least a 10-bed PICU facility in all the district hospitals, but we are hopeful that we would be able to arrange a 20-bed set up," Dr Roy said today.

There are nine district hospitals in eight north Bengal districts.