Mumbai prepares for third wave, to set up Pediatric Covid Care Ward

Launching preparations for the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new Pediatric Covid Care Ward is being set up in the financial capital of Mumbai.

The Maharashtra government has asked the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to start preparations.

Last week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asked the municipal commissioners and district collectors to prepare for the third wave and make preparations.

Maharashtra’s Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, who is the Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburban district, held discussions with Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal.

“I have suggested to BMC that we create a Paediatric Covid Care Ward anticipating the next wave and the demographic it may target,” Thackeray said.

“Since last year, our jumbo covid care centres also have units of Covid +ve dialysis, Covid +ve maternity care as well. As the virus mutates and targets different age groups, our response to it must actively mutate as well,” said Thackeray.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

The Pediatric Covid Care Ward is expected to come up at the NESCO Jumbo Covid Care Centre at the Goregaon East suburbs of Mumbai – and 700 beds are expected to be added.

This would include 300 for a dedicated Pediatric Covid Care Ward and it would also comprise a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with a capacity of 25 beds each.

Apart from that, the BMC is planning to build four oxygen plants and maintain of adequate stock of medicines like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections,

“During the first wave (2020) mostly adults were affected. In the ongoing second wave (from February 2021) young men and children were also affected. We have to prepare for the third wave… also we need to consider the fact that vaccines have not yet been opened for the age group below 18 years,” BMC officials said.

Wide-ranging discussions are also expected to be held with the Covid-19 Task Force on the strategies that need to be adopted.