In view of the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic and its likely impact on the children, the Maharashtra government is in the process of setting up a Paediatric Task Force, said Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday while addressing the media.

On Wednesday, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, K Vijay Raghavan, had said given the movement of the Covid virus in the country, third wave of the pandemic was inevitable.

Tope said that treating children up to the age of 18 is a different from the regular treatments of adults. It is more complicated to treat smaller children as they need to be with their mothers in the Covid hospital wards, therefore the taskforce has been formed.

The Chief Minister held a video conference with leading paediatricians from Mumbai and other places for working out the availability of paediatric medicines, treatment protocols, different types of beds for children. The taskforce will also consider setting Sick Newborn Care Unit and ICU for children, he said.

Vaccine shortage

Tope said the second vaccine dose of about 5 lakh people over 45 years is due in the State. If the Centre does not deliver in time the needed doses, then stocks will have to be diverted from the State’s inventory meant for 18-44 age group.

The vaccines for the 18-44 age group is Maharashtra Government’s responsibility, and it is ready to purchase 12 crore doses. There would be no compromise on the State’s commitment towards vaccination. It is ready to purchase all the required vaccine doses with a single cheque, Tope added.

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