Noida: Doctors have questioned the Noida administration’s decision to ramp up paediatric facilities for the next wave of Covid, saying most children are unlikely to get infected and spending on hospitals and intensive care units (ICU) specifically for kids would be a waste of resources.
Experts dealing with Covid for the past one year suggested that the administration should adopt a hybrid model so that wards and ICUs for adults can be quickly upgraded for children’s needs if required.
They also pointed out that ICUs only for children would require additional doctors and nurses, at a time there was a severe crunch of skilled manpower.
Doctors also expressed doubt on the assumption that more children were likely to get infected in the third wave.
They said the assumption was based on the premise that kids could be at maximum risk because by the time the third wave comes, most people aged over 18 would be vaccinated.
Another belief is that since the first wave affected senior citizens most and many in the 30-50 age group were infected over the past two months, the third wave may be critical for children.
The doctors termed these explanations “unscientific”.
“So far, we have seen very few children getting critical from Covid.
Children are generally a healthy population.
In adults, there are standard doses and easier procedures compared to children.
Specialists are required for handling intensive care for kids,” said Dr Ashutosh Sinha, additional director of paediatrics at Fortis Hospital.
Other doctors, however, said there were enough resources to handle the few serious cases in children.
“The treatment and medicines are the same for children over 10 years of age and those for adults.
Most of the equipment and bed sizes are also the same.
Only consumables like masks and drugs are different, which can be easily arranged in adult ICUs,” said Dr DK Gupta, paediatrician and chairperson of Felix hospital.
The doctors also said creating extra ICU wards would need additional resources, at a time hospitals were already stretched.
“More facilities with PICU wards will need many more skilled nurses and paramedical staff.
There is a shortage anyway.
The focus should rather be on training the existing staff on handling both situations,” said Dr Gupta.