Maharashtra mulls creating paediatric COVID-19 care ward anticipating next wave

Creches for children whose parents have been affected by COVID-19 were also proposed.

Mumbai: Maharashtra tourism and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday (May 3) chaired a meeting with the Additional Municipal Commissioner (MCGM) Mumbai Sanjeev Jaiswal and suggested creating a paediatric COVID-19 care ward anticipating the next wave of the coronavirus.

Taking to Twitter, Thackeray wrote, "As we prepare for 3rd wave capacity building in Maharashtra, I met AMC Sanjeev Jaiswal ji to discuss the measures we`ve undertaken in Mumbai. I have suggested to him that we create a paediatric covid care ward anticipating the next wave and the demographic it may target." 

"Along with paediatric covid care centre, another aspect we are now focussed on is to create a network of creches for those parents who may have to be in covid care centres and may not have support to look after their children, that aren't infected by covid," he added.

He further said that Mumbai saw a massive spike last month and sustained it because of the constant increase in beds and facilities.

"We are now focussed on creating almost 6500 O2 beds and approximately 1500 more ICU/ HDU beds in the coming few days at the new jumbos coming up," he said.

"Since last year, our jumbo covid care centres also have units of covid positive dialysis, covid positive maternity care as well. As the virus mutates and targets different age groups, our response to it must actively mutate as well," he added.

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 56,647 fresh coronavirus cases and 669 fatalities, pushing the tally of infections to 47,22,401 and the toll to 70,284, the state health department said.

The state is left with 6,68,353 active cases after 51,356 patients were discharged during the day, taking the count of recoveries in the state to 39,81,658 so far, the department said in a release.