Manipur gearing to fight Covid in children

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Aug. 16 (EMN): Manipur Health department has started to procure necessary medical items including ventilators, drugs etc. to counter the Covid-19 infection in children below 15 years, according to the director of Health services, Dr. K Rajo Singh on Monday.

Dr. Rajo said a private hospital with 60 beds in Imphal West district has been identified for the treatment of children affected by Covid-19.

He said that the state authority is ready to dedicate maximum number of beds for the children (before 15 years) at the newly developed 200-bedded (government-run) Covid hospital in Imphal East district besides identifying at least 10 beds each for children in all the district hospitals including the two major hospitals -- RIMS and JNIMS in the state.

The department is also looking for recruitment of necessary manpower to deal with the Covid cases in the state, he added while advising the parents to consult doctors on time once their children are infected with the virus for immediate steps.

“If any child is tested Covid-19 in a family or if the child is tested Covid negative while the whole family members are tested Covid-19 positive, the child should be taken care of by a Covid negative person, following existing government guidelines”, he said.

According to the Health department, altogether 14,993 children below 15 years including 2661 in the first wave and 12,323 in second wave tested Covid-19 positive since the pandemic hit the state last year. Yesterday (Aug. 15) alone, 121 children were tested positive for Covid-19, the director said.

So far, six children -- two in first wave and four in second wave -- have expired in the state.