Look for Drugs and Conditions

Dr Rajeev Seth and Dr Vikram Gagneja

Need to boost pediatric facilities before 3rd COVID wave

Rohit Shishodia

The spiraling death toll due to oxygen shortage and the visuals of corpses lined outside the crematorium during the peak of the second wave of COVID-19 still gives the chills.

Rural India was worst hit by inadequate healthcare facilities.

Recently, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) warned about the grossly inadequate facilities in India to treat infected children in the third wave of COVID-19 that could peak in October.

However, citing the sero survey findings, doctors have informed that over 50% of children have been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies.

Despite this, they believe that the unvaccinated status of children could pose a serious threat if there is an outbreak in the third wave, and there is the need to strengthen the pediatric facilities in the country.

It was found while discussing the same with the residents of Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh that not a single pediatrician serves in a block of 144 villages in the district; in fact, they don’t even have a dedicated pediatric unit in  primary healthcare centre (PHC) and community healthcare centre (CHC)

Recalling the gruesome second wave, a resident of Hapur’s Sapnawat village told DTMT, “There are no pediatricians or pediatric healthcare facilities in the CHC of the village. Not just this, but there may be very few pediatricians even in nearby districts such as Hapur and Bulandsher.

He added that Delhi is far and the available treatment there is unaffordable for the people.

Dr. Rajeev Seth, Medical Director, Child Health and Development Centre, New Delhi, told DTMT that “it is an estimation that the third wave will come but yes we have to prepare.”

“Children account for around 40% of India’s population, of which 1% were severely infected in second wave. Even if 1% will get infected in the next possible wave then this will be a huge number to handle. Pediatric care, PHCs, and CHCs in rural parts should be improved,” Dr. Seth said.

“A total of 5% of children need hospitalisation for COVID. Only 1% to 2% need ICU care, and rural India lacks this; the oxygen management for children and trained pediatricians are also inadequate there,” Pediatrician at Delhi’s Manipal Hospital, Dr. Vikram Gagneja told DTMT.


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