<p>Amid the impending threat to children in the third Covid-19 wave, data collated by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) revealed that Chamarajanagar, Yadgir and Chikkaballapur districts have just eight, 15 and 16 paediatricians respectively in government and private sectors.</p>.<p>Chamarajanagar district officials acknowledged that they had only eight paediatricians for a population of 1.2 lakh children aged 0-14 years. Surprisingly, only one of them is a neonatologist.</p>.<p>Deputy Commissioner M R Ravi said, “We have four paediatricians in the district hospital and three or four more in the peripheral health centres. Last week, we got three additional paediatricians. Around 1,600 to 1,800 children up to 15 years of age have been infected in the second wave alone. </p>.<p>“Projections for the third wave say 6% of children infected may need hospitalisation. Currently, 1.2% of paediatric cases reported in the district have required hospitalisation.” <br /><br /><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/not-aware-of-kids-dying-due-to-covid-19-k-sudhakar-991896.html" target="_blank">Not aware of kids dying due to Covid-19-19: K Sudhakar</a></strong></p>.<p>This works out to 225 children less than 10 years of age, said Ravi. “We are expecting 450 paediatric cases in the third wave. I need four doctors for 24 hours as they can wear a PPE only for six hours. It is a challenge. We need more paediatricians,” he said. </p>.<p>Ravi has asked for a report from his district’s paediatricians on available human resources, paediatric medical equipment and paediatric bed capacity.</p>.<p>Yadgir district on the other hand has had 1,070 children aged 0-14 years who tested Covid-19-19 positive so far out of which there are 144 active cases.</p>.<p>District health officer Dr Indumati Kamshetty said, “Twelve paediatricians are in the private sector. Three are in the government sector manning two taluk hospitals and one district hospital. Additionally, two medicos are here as part of their compulsory rural service and will leave in September this year. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“Twenty per cent of our 14.3 lakh population are aged below 14 years. Luckily, all infected children were home isolated and no deaths were reported. We have vacancies for five paediatricians. I am told we have been allotted more but are yet to receive the list.”</p>.<p>There are two lakh children in Chikkabalapur district and 2,000 of them have got Covid-19-19 so far. In all, there are 16 paediatricians to treat them.</p>.<p>IAP has formed committees for micro-planning to address the shortage.</p>.<p>“Training for MBBS doctors and available paediatricians is underway. The training was undertaken over the past month via webinars. Training of ASHA workers is also in the pipeline. Some taluks have just one or two paediatricians, most of them private,” said IAP State Secretary Dr Amaresh Patil.</p>
<p>Amid the impending threat to children in the third Covid-19 wave, data collated by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) revealed that Chamarajanagar, Yadgir and Chikkaballapur districts have just eight, 15 and 16 paediatricians respectively in government and private sectors.</p>.<p>Chamarajanagar district officials acknowledged that they had only eight paediatricians for a population of 1.2 lakh children aged 0-14 years. Surprisingly, only one of them is a neonatologist.</p>.<p>Deputy Commissioner M R Ravi said, “We have four paediatricians in the district hospital and three or four more in the peripheral health centres. Last week, we got three additional paediatricians. Around 1,600 to 1,800 children up to 15 years of age have been infected in the second wave alone. </p>.<p>“Projections for the third wave say 6% of children infected may need hospitalisation. Currently, 1.2% of paediatric cases reported in the district have required hospitalisation.” <br /><br /><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/not-aware-of-kids-dying-due-to-covid-19-k-sudhakar-991896.html" target="_blank">Not aware of kids dying due to Covid-19-19: K Sudhakar</a></strong></p>.<p>This works out to 225 children less than 10 years of age, said Ravi. “We are expecting 450 paediatric cases in the third wave. I need four doctors for 24 hours as they can wear a PPE only for six hours. It is a challenge. We need more paediatricians,” he said. </p>.<p>Ravi has asked for a report from his district’s paediatricians on available human resources, paediatric medical equipment and paediatric bed capacity.</p>.<p>Yadgir district on the other hand has had 1,070 children aged 0-14 years who tested Covid-19-19 positive so far out of which there are 144 active cases.</p>.<p>District health officer Dr Indumati Kamshetty said, “Twelve paediatricians are in the private sector. Three are in the government sector manning two taluk hospitals and one district hospital. Additionally, two medicos are here as part of their compulsory rural service and will leave in September this year. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“Twenty per cent of our 14.3 lakh population are aged below 14 years. Luckily, all infected children were home isolated and no deaths were reported. We have vacancies for five paediatricians. I am told we have been allotted more but are yet to receive the list.”</p>.<p>There are two lakh children in Chikkabalapur district and 2,000 of them have got Covid-19-19 so far. In all, there are 16 paediatricians to treat them.</p>.<p>IAP has formed committees for micro-planning to address the shortage.</p>.<p>“Training for MBBS doctors and available paediatricians is underway. The training was undertaken over the past month via webinars. Training of ASHA workers is also in the pipeline. Some taluks have just one or two paediatricians, most of them private,” said IAP State Secretary Dr Amaresh Patil.</p>
