Telangana gets down to face covid third wave

Hyderabad: With an alert from the Centre that there is a possibility of third wave and that it could affect children and youth between June and August, the state government is trying to evolve a new medical protocol for the treatment of corona patients below 10 years.

According to officials, State Medical and Health department has begun an exercise to improve medical infrastructure in identified pediatric hospitals and is also studying the required medical facilities available in the public and private hospitals to meet any challenge. The authorities, sources say, are holding virtual meetings with the Kerala and Maharashtra governments which are facing the first stage of third wave and the positive cases among youth and children are on the rise.

Top officials said that it requires separate set of medicines for the treatment of infants and such drugs need to be procured in advance. The Maharashtra government has created special Covid wards for infected infants and children below 18 years to provide treatment in many hospitals. On the same lines, the Telangana Medical and Health wing wants to upgrade the medical infrastructure to tide over the crisis. Currently, the state-run Niloufer pediatric hospital in Hyderabad is extending medical services to the critically-ill children.

This facility would be utilised for corona treatment in children in case Covid positive cases are reported. The proposal to create children wards in some government medical colleges and district hospitals is also under study. The private pediatric hospitals would also be requested to set up a separate Covid treatment facility. Officials said that special attention will be paid to protect children from the deadly virus. A special action plan for the third wave would be more result-oriented, officials claim.