Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The State government has taken a slew of measures to tackle the third wave of COVID19, which many feel would affect the children.
The Government of Goa vide Order dated 21/05/2021 has constituted a 15-member Task Force comprising of 10 doctors, with the Chief Minister as the Chairman and the Head of Preventive and Social Medicine Department as the Member Secretary, for the purpose of formulation and implementation of a strategy to tackle the anticipated 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its meeting held on 22/05/2021 the Task Force upon detailed deliberations decided as follows;
1. INFRASTRUCTURE: The existing infrastructure was assessed more particularly the infrastructure pertaining to child healthcare. And upon assessing the same it was decided to propose immediate commissioning of 10 additional NICUs in GMC and 5 NICUs at North Goa District Hospital.
A decision was also taken to increase the number of PICU beds from 6 to 14 at the existing PICU at GMC and to set up a new 60 bedded PICU and 2 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) wards of 30 beds each at the Super Specialty Block. It was also decided that the administration will be in a state of readiness to convert 20% of the adult ICU beds into PICU beds, if the need so arises.
2. ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT, MEDICINES AND MANPOWER- The requirement of essential Equipment and medicines necessary for pediatric treatment were catalogued. If the need arises the services of some the pediatricians across the State who have already volunteered their services during COVID at COVID Hospitals will be utilized. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) has also been requested to identify by consensus 1 dedicated COVID-19 Private Paediatric Hospital each, in the North & South, for when the need arises.
3. SOP FOR MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19 IN CHILDREN- It is decided to adhere to the AIIMS treatment protocol for mild, moderate & severe COVID-19 in children in the Government and Private Sector. It is further decided to ensure strict implementation of home isolation and monitoring to ensure reduction in disease transmission in the community and also in order to ensure timely referral to higher centres.
4.TRAINING OF PAEDIATRICIANS, DOCTORS, NURSES AND COUNSELORS- The Department of Pediatrics GMC, NGDH, IAP & IMA shall undertake webinars and training exercises on COVID-19 management in children as per the SoP for all health care workers from North Goa, whereas DHS, IAP and IMA Goa will conduct such training for health care workers from South Goa. All efforts to be made to reach out to and encourage all doctors and health care workers and staff to attend such training sessions.
5.VACCINATION RECOMMENDATIONS- It is decided to recommend to the State Task Force and DHS to consider vaccinating all lactating mothers (having children upto 2 years of age) and all young persons of the age group 18 to 44 with comorbidities on a priority basis.
6.OBTAINING EXPERTISE- Discussion was held with experts from Novo-Nordisk Pharma Company regarding offering of their expertise for management of diabetes as a step to control deaths among COVID-19 and also to reduce mucomycosis.
VACCINATION-With respect to vaccination drive in the State of Goa, till date the State of Goa has received 7,31,720 doses of COVISHEILD Vaccine from the Government of India. For the age group of 18 to 44 years the Government of Goa had approved initial procurement of 5 Lakh doses of COVISHEILD vaccine of which 32,870 doses have been received in the 1st lot.
Around 2,86,660 doses of COVISHEILD vaccines are available with the State of Goa for vaccinating beneficiaries in the age group of 45 years and above. In order to prevent any wastage of vaccination due to failure of a certain percentage of persons of the age group of 45 and above coming forward for vaccination, the Healthcare workers and Frontline Workers are also included in this category. Hence doses for persons who fail to come forward for vaccination will most certainly be put to use. Additionally, 5,960 doses of COVISHEILD vaccines are available presently with the state for vaccinating beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years. Further, Intimation has been received from Serum Institute of India for the next lot of 36,580 doses to be supplied by the 1st week of June 2021.
In order to make every endeavor to secure 100% vaccination of persons of the age group of 45 and above the Tika Utsav 2.0 is to commence from tomorrow.
168 vaccination Centres across the Sate will be open for this purpose. The said drive will continue until June 7th and preference will be given to those who are yet to be administered the first dose of the vaccine.
SUPER SPECIALTY BLOCK- successful steps were taken towards ensuring decongestion of GMC and to ensure that no patients are lying either on the floor or on stretchers. The work of the Super Specialty Block was fast-tracked in view of the increase in the number of cases. The Super Speciality Block has a capacity to accommodate 550. At present, in accordance with the demand, 394 beds have been commissioned, and as on 24/05/2021 out of the 394 commissioned beds, 284 beds are occupied. There are a total of 110 vacant beds as on 24/05/2021 at the Super Speciality Block. Further space in the said Block is being readied on the basis of the additional requirement.
