kolkata: In the wake of a sudden rise in influenza among children and also a threat of a possible third wave of Covid in the near future, the state Health department has urged all the district hospitals to explore the scope of enhancing infrastructure further including the increase of beds.
The superintendents of the district hospitals and also the medical college authorities have been directed to submit a proposal if they can further increase the beds.
Almost all the medical colleges and the district hospitals have already strengthened their health infrastructure to fight any unforeseen situation which may arise in the future.
The Health department has laid enough emphasis on the building of paediatric infrastructure as the experts have warned that the children may be infected in large numbers during the anticipatory third wave compared to the previous two waves.
To boost up paediatric infrastructure, as many as 435 new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) beds have been recently sanctioned to the existing number of 244.
As many as 90 new Neonatal intensive Care Units (NICU) beds have been sanctioned out of which the SSKM Hospital is going to get 80 while the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital will get 10 beds.
Out of the total 435 PICU beds which will soon be added to the existing strength, around 44 such beds are coming up at SSKM Hospital.
After many children have been affected with influenza both in north and south Bengal, the Health department has taken up initiatives to open diagnostic centres at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and School of Tropical Medicine to detect the respiratory viruses.
Many children have been infected with the RS virus.
The health experts have however said there was nothing to worry about as some children get infected with influenza and RS virus during this time of the year and mortality rate due to such ailments is very low. Health department has, however, formed an expert committee in this regard and new protocols are being developed.
Health department data say that during the first half of September around 1195 patients were admitted to Jalpaiguri District Hospital.
This is nothing new as children get infected with influenza in September every year.
In September 2017 around 2279 such patients were admitted to hospitals while in September 2018 around 2049, in 2019 around 2083 cases and in 2020 around 640 patients.