Prayagraj: Gearing up to blunt the possible third Covid wave affecting children, the health department has taken up prompt measures to set up two Paediatrics Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with 40 beds and 100 beds facilities in city area and 10 beds each in four community health centres in rural areas.
Moreover, around 100 medical and paramedical staff were also imparted training by Dr Ajit Singh, senior paediatrician and master trainer of Prayagraj district at Dufferin and TB Sapru hospitals.
Dr Varun Kwatra, public health expert told TOI that the health department is setting up two PICU in city pockets including TB Sapru (40 Beds) and MLN Medical College (100 beds facility).
Besides, PICU having 10-10 beds facility would also be set up at four community health centres including Phulpur, Kotwa, Ram Nagar, and Manda.
All the PICU would be functional by next month, he added.
Moreover, the health department has also taken up the distribution of medicine kits at the block level and also set a target of distributing 29,000 free medicine kits with syrups and dissolvable tablets to keep kids battle-ready.
The distribution began on Sunday in the district and five-gram sabha monitoring committees of 20 block each were given 20-20 (four categories) medical kits as a precautionary measure.
For that, children under the age of 18 have been divided into four categories — 0-1 years, 1-5 years, 5-12 years and 12-18 years — and different medicines have been prepared for each category.
A senior health official, meanwhile, said, the department has started the distribution of medical kit for children symbolically and five-gram sabha Nigrani Samiti of each gram sabha has been given medical kits with a view that these kits could be utilised whenever required.
The dosage will be adjusted as per age and weight.
He further added the kits are containing paracetamol tablets, ORS packets, multivitamins and Ivermectin tablets that have been prepared at the suggestion of medical experts and paediatricians.