BHUBANESWAR: In view of the rise in incidence of infection in paediatric age groups in Odisha, the State government has issued a set of guidelines to contain the spread. In the SOP prescribed by the Health and Family Welfare department, all dedicated Covid hospitals and Covid Care Centres (CCCs) have been directed to create a designated ‘paediatric Covid wing’ within the existing facilities.
The Collectors, Municipal Commissioners and CDMOs have been directed to ensure that 15 per cent of beds in the isolation ward, HDU and ICUs are reserved for treatment of neonates, infants and other paediatric age groups, which can be increased by addition of beds to this pool, depending on caseload in the future.
The Covid facilities will also have to earmark Covid-19 newborn units in existing SNCU/ NICU with strict isolation and infection prevention and control measures. The SOP has also advised nursing mothers to continue breastfeeding with Covid appropriate behaviour even after detected positive. Additional Chief Secretary of Health PK Mohapatra said the districts and civic bodies have been asked to move Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd for necessary logistics, consumables and other requirements to set up the facilities.
“Covid hospitals will allow one of the parents to remain as an attendant in case an infant is admitted. This may be considered on a case to case basis and the caregiver parent will be adequately counselled on Covid appropriate behaviour, such as personal hygiene, hand washing, use of hand sanitiser and use of mask,” he said. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPGIP), Cuttack will act as the nodal centre for monitoring and provision of technical input to treating paediatricians in other parts of the State.
The Superintendent of SVPGI, Cuttack has been instructed to form a technical group which will be available to treating physicians, paediatricians, intensivists and paediatric anaesthesiologists across the State over phone, mobile and WhatsApp for technical inputs, whenever needed. Similarly, all private hospitals and hospitals by corporate houses, NGOs, missionaries and philanthropic organisations have been directed to create such facilities.
All hospitals dealing with paediatric patients will create one dedicated counselling centres, where the parents can be counselled and be shared with information about the status of the patients. “Now the arrangements will be managed by the existing trained staff available in the State. A pool of trained manpower will be created in all Medical Colleges and Hospitals and District Headquarters Hospitals by imparting handhold training in ICUs, PICUs and NICUs,” Mohapatra added.