Amid the threat of a probable advent of the third wave of deadly Coronavirus in the form of Delta variant, the Union Health Ministry on Friday made it clear that there is no scientific evidence either from India or globally, to show that children get disproportionately infected with COVID-19 including Delta variant.
"Children, if infected, generally remain asymptomatic or exhibit mild symptoms and do not get the severe disease," the newly appointed Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated in a written statement, laid on the table of the Lok Sabha today.
However, Union Health Ministry has issued specific guidelines and has advised states and Union Territories (UTs) to upgrade health infrastructure concerning pediatric cases management.
The ministry monitors the trajectory of COVID-19 in the country as per the details provided by the states and UTs. The public health approach and clinical management protocol for the Delta variant remain the same.
"Multiple waves have been noticed across the world during pandemics including the COVID-19 pandemic. The wave may occur either due to mutations in the virus or due to the available pool of susceptible population, which in turn is also dependent on various pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions for the management of the pandemic," the Minister stated.
Three-tier arrangement to check the spread of infection to non-infected persons
With the intent to reduce the risk of cross-infection to non-COVID patients as well as to maintain continuity of non-COVID essential health services in the country, a three-tier arrangement of dedicated COVID-19 health facilities.
COVID Care Center (CCC), Dedicated COVID Health Centre (DCHC), and Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH)] have been implemented in the country.
The government of India, to supplement the hospital facilities has roped in tertiary care hospitals under ESIC, Defence, Railways, paramilitary forces, Steel Ministry, etc. Further, many large temporary treatment facilities were established by DRDO to manage a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.
ICU bed capacity enhanced from 2,000 to over 18 lakh in one year
Learning a lesson from the first and second wave of the virus, the isolation bed capacity and ICU bed capacity, which was only 10,180 and 2,168 before the first lockdown (as on 23rd March 2020) is being enhanced continuously and is currently at 18,21,845 isolation beds and 1,22,035 ICU beds (as on 20th July 2021), the statement reads.
State/UTs and Central Governments institutions have been allocated 56,218 ventilators of which 48,446 have been already supplied (as of 19th July 2021).
States, UTs asked to ensure adequate health staff in hospitals
To augment human resources for COVID management to ensure adequate healthcare staff in hospitals, States/UTs have given certain directions in this regard.
- To persuade MBBS passed out doctors preparing for NEET (PG) to join Covid care duties.
- Medical interns may be deployed in Covid Management duties under the supervision of their faculty, as part of internship rotation.
- Services of final-year MBBS students may be utilized.
- The service of a final year PG student (both broad & super-specialty) as residents may continue to be utilized.
- B.Sc / GNM qualified nurses may be utilized in full-time Covid nursing duties in ICU etc. under the supervision of senior doctors and nurses.
- Final year GNM or B.Sc (Nursing) students awaiting final exam may be given full-time Covid Nursing duties at Government / private facilities under the supervision of senior faculty.
- The services of Allied Health Care professionals may be utilized for assistance in Covid management based on their training and certification.
- NHM norm for contractual human resource engagement may be followed by States /UTs for engaging additional manpower.
