Pramesh S Jain.Yogesh K Porwar
Paediatric wards and oxygen generation plants are being set up at all district hospitals in the state to ensure preparedness for a possible third wave of the Covid-19,Karnataka Health Minister Dr.Sudhakar K said on Tuesday.
While addressing the media after chairing a meeting with senior health department officials to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the state,Dr Sudhakar said,Oxygen generation plants will also be set up in every taluk hospital and district hospitals across the state.
A dedicated 70-80 bed pediatrics ward will be arranged in all district hospitals.Additional pediatricians and nursing staff will also be recruited wherever it is necessary.A special training session will be conducted through RGUHS to train MBBS and other technical staff.
The minister said that the government is preparing to tackle a possible third wave.
We cannot say that third wave has started. Second wave is yet to subdue.We must take care of our children to protect them from the virus.
Till the age of 19,children should be treated in consultation with pediatricians.We need to create awareness about this,he stressed.
Seven genomic labs will be established across the state to study the mutated strains found in second wave.
“These labs will come up at five medical colleges, Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru and Vijayapura District Hospital.
This study will help us to understand the virus better and for development of better medicine and treatment protocol based on the nature of virus,” said Dr K Sudhakar.
CM to decide on easing restrictions:
The minister stated that the Technical Advisory Committee has submitted its report and Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will decide on the modalities of easing restrictions gradually.
Experts have advised that restrictions can be eased if positivity rate is less than 5 per cent and the number to cases come down to 5,000. However, positivity rate is still high in many districts. So we need to exercise caution,he said.
Karnataka has received another consignment of 1.64 lakh doses of Covaxin.The available stock will be used to vaccinate citizens above 45 years who are due for second dose.
The vaccine will be eventually made available to all once the supply increases,Dr Sudhakar added.
He asserted that vaccination centres should not deny giving the jab to a beneficiary once the slot is confirmed.
Action will be initiated against those centres which deny vaccine even after slot confirmation, he further said.
State to receive more stock of Amphotericin B
Dr K Sudhakar said that black fungus is treatable, adding that in some cases where the infection has reached the eyes of a person, removal becomes inevitable to weed out even the tiniest trace of the infection so that it doses not invade the brain.
“If the fungus affects the brain, it is very dangerous. Hence, eyes are removed to stop the spread to brain and not due to lack of medicine.
Treatment of black fungus will be decided by ophthalmologists and ENT specialists based on the condition of each case.I am in constant touch with the central government to ensure sufficient supply of the medicine, he added
It has been reported that two kids whose parents have recovered from Covid might have been infected from Kawasaki.Malnutrition and other social factors are among the causes for this. Government is closely tracking such cases, he added.
