UP gears up to protect kids from Covid 3rd wave, encephalitis

LUCKNOW : After a decline in Covid-19 cases, the Uttar Pradesh government has started preparing on two fronts — protection of children from a possible third wave of the pandemic as well as from the Japanese encephalitis (JE)/ acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) that spreads to the districts of east UP with the onset of the monsoon.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the establishment of paediatric intensive care units (PICU) in all the districts and measures taken by the districts to control the outbreak of JE/ AES during his three-day visit to east Uttar Pradesh from May 24 to 26. Earlier, he visited west UP and the Bundelkhand region.

He said establishment of PICUs and NICUs (neo-natal intensive care units) in all medical colleges should be completed rapidly.

“The state government has decided to set up 100- bed PICUs in the hospitals located at divisional headquarters and 25-bed PICUs in the district headquarters. Medical experts have stated that children will be vulnerable to a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that is being apprehended in September-October,” he said.

At a press conference in Deoria on Wednesday, Yogi said the state government was following a proactive policy in the fight against the Covid pandemic.

Similarly, the state government had been able to bring down encephalitis cases by 75% and the death rate by 95% among children, he added.

“We will use our experience of tackling JE/AES to protect children from a possible third wave of the Covid,” he said.

The state government has already decided to administer vaccines on priority to parents of children below 12 years of age. He said parents’ special booths should be set up in every district.

In Gorakhpur, he also said he would continue the review of preparations in the encephalitis-prone districts of Deoria, Kushinagar, Basti, and Siddharth Nagar, adding that a strict vigil should be maintained on all other districts.

“On Wednesday 3,300 fresh Covid cases were reported in the state. The state had reported 3.10 lakh active cases on April

30 and the number of active cases was down to 62,000 on Wednesday. The recovery rate increased to 95%, the case positivity rate is 3.5. The state government has decided to set up 300 oxygen plants across UP to ensure sufficient oxygen supply to all the hospitals and medical colleges,” he said.