Five children, aged between one and 12 years, tested positive for Covid-19 in different parts of Malda district in the past 48 hours.
“All five children are in a stable condition and none has been hospitalised so far. But as they have not received vaccines, we are in touch with their families regularly to ensure that they are being provided with proper treatment,” said Amitava Mondal, the deputy chief medical officer of health – II of Malda, on Thursday.
Sources in the health department said although the number of Covid-19 cases had declined in the district, the fresh infections among children made them draw up plans to ensure that such affected kids received required treatment.
“We have installed oxygen supply systems at hospitals in all 15 blocks. So, patients need not come to the Malda Medical College and Hospital,” Saibal Banerjee, the chief medical officer of health of Malda, said.
“We are developing new wards which will have 12 to 20 beds at some rural and block health centres.”
Senior government doctors have said right now, not a single Covid patient is under treatment at the MMCH.
“We are, however, continuing our surveillance and carrying out random tests. It has been found that a number of patients who have been tested positive are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Even then, all of us should be on alert,” said Partha Pratim Mukherjee, the MMCH principal.
On Thursday, Suhrita Pal, the vice-chancellor of West Bengal University of Health Sciences, reached the MMCH. She held a meeting with officials and faculty members and visited the health establishment. Sushanta Roy, the officer on special duty deputed by the state health department, was with her.
Roy told newspersons that the state health department had decided to open Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at subdivisional and super-specialty hospitals.
“The PICU we have at the MMCH will be developed into a centre of excellence. Also, those who will work at the PICUs will be trained at the MMCH and the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital,” he said.
