Ghaziabad to come up with dedicated child hospital ahead of third Covid-19 wave

To tackle a possible third wave of Covid-19, the Ghaziabad administration on Monday said it will acquire a private hospital on the Delhi-Meerut Road and convert it into the district’s first dedicated child hospital

To tackle a possible third wave of Covid-19, the Ghaziabad administration on Monday said it will acquire a private hospital on the Delhi-Meerut Road and convert it into the district’s first dedicated child hospital.

The children’s guardians will get updates on health status 3-4 times a day, district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said in a press statement. (AP Photo. Representative image)

The hospital will be equipped with 60 beds for children aged up to 12 years and will also have one ventilator/ICU ward, said district officials. An oxygen plant will also be setup for ensuring regular supply.

Confirming this, district chief medical officer (CMO) Dr N K Gupta said, “It will be acquired as we have done with other private hospitals during the pandemic. The hospital staff will remain and in case of any shortage we will also provide staff.”

During his recent visit to Ghaziabad, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to come up with paediatric ICU (PICU) beds for children in case they are affected in a possible third wave in the future.

“The children’s guardians will get updates on health status 3-4 times a day. The doctors of the hospital will also be in touch with experts of other medical institutions virtually,” district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said in a press statement. “We have also directed private hospitals to reserve 10 beds each for treatment of children.”

According to official records obtained from the district health department, about 677 children up to the age of 10 were infected with Covid-19 from April 1 to May 13 this year.

The PICUs for children will also be setup at the district hospital and the district women hospital.