SAMBALPUR: With Sambalpur district recording a significant number of Covid positive cases in the below-18 year age group, the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla authorities have firmed up plans to convert one of the facilities into a dedicated paediatric Covid hospital. In last three days, Sambalpur district has reported 92 cases of patients below the age of 18. Of the total, 46 belong to 12 years or below age bracket including two below the age of one.
Currently, two Covid hospitals are functioning from the VIMSAR campus besides one on Sambalpur district headquarters hospital premises. The plan for dedicated paediatric Covid facility has been chalked out following the recent guidelines of the State government to reserve 15 per cent beds in Covid hospitals for treatment of neonates, infants and other patients in the paediatric segment.
However, instead of reserving beds, VIMSAR management has decided to turn Covid Hospital-1 into a dedicated paediatric wing., Official sources said the hospital has already started shifting paediatric patients to Covid Hospital-1 and written to the State government for supply of necessary equipment, infrastructure and trained nurses to cater to the age group. The Covid Hospital-1 at VIMSAR has 225 beds including 50 ICU units.
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics in VIMSAR, Prakash Chandra Panda said treatment of paediatric Covid patients is different from that of adults. “Accommodating all paediatric patients will also help manage their treatment smoothly. Moreover, inflow of Covid patients to VIMSAR has started dipping which only makes it appropriate to convert the hospital into an exclusive paediatric wing. The process has been initiated,” he said.
Only one of the parents will also be allowed to stay with the Covid-affected kid as an attendant in the hospital. However, treatment of Covid patients of all other age groups will continue uninterruptedly at 300 bed Covid Hospital-II, he said.