The state health department has asked district officials to arrange special units, including new intensive care infrastructure, for children at district and block hospitals amid the threat of a probable third wave of Covid-19.

A health official said the preparation comes in the wake of reports that children may be more susceptible to the new wave.

The apprehension of the state health officials is contrary to opinion expressed earlier this week by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.

The body representing paediatricians in India has ruled as baseless fears about a third wave hitting children hard.

The IAP has said that available clinical data did not give any reason to conclude that any fresh surge in the Covid-19 epidemic was “highly likely” to predominantly or severely affect children.

The state government, however, is not ready to take any chances. In a video conference on Tuesday evening, top health officials in Calcutta instructed all tiers of district healthcare infrastructure — including heads of medical colleges and hospitals — to keep at least one special unit to treat children.

“We are well equipped to handle adult patients but not children right now. There are several units like the Sick Neonatal Care Units (SNCU), but there are very few Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) in the districts. We also have been asked to increase the number of High Dependency Unit beds in the district,” said a senior health official.

Health officials also apprehend that the infection rate among children could be at least twice that of the first or second wave of the pandemic, and may potentially hit the state in late September.

Medical colleges have been asked to prepare special PICU units for Covid-19 patients where all block and district hospitals have been asked to increase the number of SNCU or HDU beds.

“We are planning to open a 15-bed PICU unit to treat Covid-infected children at Suri district hospital. Block hospitals have been asked to keep separate units for children apart from their existing facilities.

Hospitals with SNCU facilities have been asked to ascertain in advance that the entire infrastructure is functioning,” said Jayanta Sukul, a deputy chief medical officer in Birbhum.

Sources said there were around 70 SNCU units in government hospitals that can admit around 2,400 patients. Officials said they were planning to increase PICU beds in medical colleges and new SNCU units or beds at the district hospitals.

Bankura has sent a proposal to increase 150 HDU beds in three Covid hospitals in the districts to admit both adults and children.

“We have already sent a proposal for 150 HDU beds in our Covid hospitals. There will be additional facilities in medical colleges too. Our first priority is to assure as many oxygen beds as possible before the third wave hits,” said Shyamal Soren, the chief medical officer in Bankura.

Sources said the health department has asked districts to involve health workers on the ground to keep a record of vulnerable children in blocks along with those whose parents were infected over the last two waves. On Wednesday, the government also enlisted rural healthcare providers and family members of health workers to be vaccinated as a priority community.

“We need rural healthcare providers to handle the situation in rural pockets as the virus will spread in rural areas this time. So, vaccination of those healthcare providers is now in our priority list,” said a senior official.