Neonatal ICUs, creches for kids of Covid positive parents on Mumbai civic body’s cards

Alongside ramping up infrastructure in light of the recent projection of more cases in children and infants, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also decided to set up creches for children whose parents are Covid-19 positive, especially, if such children do not have anyone to take care of them during their parents’ quarantine period

Alongside ramping up infrastructure in light of the recent projection of more cases in children and infants, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also decided to set up creches for children whose parents are Covid-19 positive, especially, if such children do not have anyone to take care of them during their parents’ quarantine period. All paediatric wards for Covid-19 positive children are likely to have an adjoining and safe stay area for mothers of ailing children, especially in the case of infants who have tested positive for Covid-19.

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This was discussed in a meeting between Mumbai suburbs’ guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, and additional municipal commissioner in charge of the civic public health department, Suresh Kakani, on Tuesday.

Thackeray later said, “We cannot expect an infant or a very young child who has tested positive for Covid-19 to stay away from its mother. But we also need to make sure the mother is safe from Covid-19. So we will have to design an area that meets both our requirements, alongside paediatric Covid wards.”

“This works the other way round as well,” Thackeray added. In cases where both parents of young children have tested positive for Covid-19 and will be institutionally quarantined, but the child has tested negative, BMC will make arrangements for the children to be looked after if they don’t have family members to take care of them.

However, Thackeray said, “BMC will also focus on adding more neonatal ICU and ventilator beds.”

Experts have noticed the trend of a rising number of Covid cases in children below 10 years of age, and in infants over the past few months. Om Shrivastav, who is a part of the Maharashtra government’s covid task force said, “Between the first and second wave, we have seen an increase in the number of cases in children below 10 years and infants. We can assume this trend may continue, and we don’t want to be caught off guard, or start making preparations after the crisis has hit us. So we must keep infrastructure ready.” The state government is also forming a pediatric task force of experts for the same.

Meanwhile, Mumbai on Wednesday reported 2,104 Covid-19 cases and 66 deaths, taking the tally to 681,233 and the toll to 13,972. There are 36,595 active cases in the city at present. On Tuesday, Mumbai conducted 33,499 tests, which have shown Wednesday’s cases. The daily positivity rate is 6.2% on Wednesday.