Ghaziabad: Anticipating that children might be affected in the third wave of the pandemic, the administration and health department have decided to keep paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) ready at its key government hospitals as well as private hospitals.
While the administration had collaborated with RS Garg Indo-German Hospital to start a 50-bed dedicated hospital, a 10-bed PICU is getting readied at District Combined Hospital, an L2 facility.
A 100-bed children ward is also being set up at Santosh Hospital, an L3 facility.
However, one of the major challenges is arranging for trained doctors, nurses and other staff.
There is an acute shortage of paediatricians, anaesthetists and ICU trained nurses to run the children hospital at Indo-German Hospital and PICU ward in District Combined Hospital.
A gap analysis to make them future-ready revealed that there is a need for at least 11 paediatricians, 25 nurses and five anaesthetists.
While Indo-German Hospital has only paediatricians, DCH has just two at present.
Officials said that based on the analysis, demand for manpower and equipment has been forwarded to the director general of health and medical services.
In the letter sent to the DG, the health department has sought at least six paediatricians, three anaesthetists and 20 trained staff, besides Bipap, ventilators, oxygen cylinder and high flow nasal cannulas (HFNCs) among others.
Children’s wards will also be readied at all four community health centres.