Northeast’s first Covid hospital for children at MMCH

GUWAHATI: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday inaugurated northeast’s first Covid unit exclusively for children at the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH).
Equipped with a playing area and play kits, along with centralised music system, walls painted with cartoons and TV screens connected to cartoon channels, Himanta said the Centre will give a pleasant environment for Covid-infected children, who have been facing stress in general hospitals during treatment.
“The Bagri children complex in MMCH has been upgraded with a new look and we have readied a state-of-the-art hospital here for children undergoing treatment for Covid. We have observed that it has become troublesome to take care of such children in general hospitals. In the absence of an enjoyable environment, they have to spend stressful days during hospitalisation,” Himanta said.
He said from Monday, children testing positive for Covid-19 in Guwahati will be brought to the newly inaugurated Bagri Children Covid Care Centre. “We will be able to accommodate a maximum of 80 children there which is enough for children from the city,” Himanta said, adding that the view of the Brahmaputra from the centre, has made it special, location-wise.
MMCH additional superintendent Anupal Sarma said children and infants remain equally vulnerable to Covid-19. “Our doctors have even seen a one-and-half-month-old Covid-positive baby. So, it was necessary to have a dedicated centre for kids, where their attendants can also be present.”
Meanwhile, Himanta said the health department in Assam was facing a dual challenge to meet the growing need for ICUs and oxygen-fitted beds, considering the severity of Covid cases.
“Earlier, the main challenge was where to keep Covid patients. Now, we are facing more and more serious patients infected by the virus. We need more ICUs and oxygen-fitted beds for such patients,” Himanta said.
He said while in July-end, only two Covid patients were in the MMCH ICU unit, but as on Sunday, all ICU beds (24) were occupied. In Guwahati Medical College Hospital also, he said, hardly any ICU bed was vacant.
Considering the change in demands, Himanta said the health department had decided to close the TB Hospital at Kalapahar and Government Ayurvedic College Hospital, which were being used for treating Covid patients. In the next 10 days, he said, ICUs and oxygen-fitted beds will be installed there.
“In all medical colleges, we are putting more efforts to add ICUs and oxygen-fitted beds. Because with the number of serious patients increasing, the need for ICUs and oxygen is increasing rapidly. This is more worrying than the number of positive cases that are being detected in the state,” he added.
As on Saturday night, the number of Covid-19 active cases in Assam was 20,992, while the total number of positive cases touched 1,03,794, and the death toll was 289.