Meghalaya: 17 kids have succumbed to COVID since 2020; Govt gears up for third wave
As fear of the impending third COVID wave, which is said to be targeting children, looms large, the state government gearing up for the “inevitable” and informed that it is in the process of setting up three prefab structures for pediatric hospitals in Shillong (East Khasi Hills), Tura (West Garo Hills) and Jowai (West Jaintia Hills).
Meghalaya Health Minister AL Hek on Wednesday informed that the state has lost at least 17 children, aged between 0-14, to COVID-19 since 2020, while the total number of children infected with the virus stands at 5101, as of June 16.
As fear of the impending third COVID wave, which is said to be targeting children, looms large, the state government gearing up for the “inevitable” and informed that it is in the process of setting up three prefab structures for pediatric hospitals in Shillong (East Khasi Hills), Tura (West Garo Hills) and Jowai (West Jaintia Hills).
“The decision to set up these three prefabs was taken on Tuesday (June 15), and officers have been asked to get ready. We are in the preparation stage to tackle the third wave,” Hek said.
When asked whether city hospitals will be included in the government’s preparation module for the third wave, the health minister replied in the negative.
“It is our duty to tackle the third wave but, the government is first looking at completing the prefabs in these three major districts,” Hek said.
The health minister said that the department is looking at training health workers on how to deal with the third wave as and when it hits the state.
Meanwhile, medical professionals opined that there is no strong scientific evidence to prove that the third wave will affect children predominantly.
"This theory actually came from an assumption that since the pattern of vaccination is in reverse age order, that is, we started from the elderly then adults ... so in that sequence, the children will be vaccinated last, which leaves them vulnerable to the third or fourth wave," a medical professional from Shillong, Dr Synrang B. Warjri said.
Furthermore, he stated that at the rate our vaccination is going, "I think the third wave will affect all those who are unvaccinated, children or otherwise."
“The third wave if it comes will be more intense than the second. We saw the Meghalaya's Health system being totally overwhelmed by the Second wave. The third wave will be worse,” Dr Warjri added.
Meghalaya's fiscal position
The Health Minister informed that the state government had written to the Centre, seeking financial assistance to tackle the COVID situation.
“The financial situation in the state at present is “not bad” but, we cannot say what will happen in future,” Hek said.
Reacting to the remarks made by the Opposition Congress on insufficient manpower and life-saving ambulances, Hek admitted that some ambulances are not fully equipped with life-saving equipment.
“We have been increasing the additional manpower as much as required and the lifesaving ambulances are also being looked into”.
(Edited by Ibankyntiew Mawrie)
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