No Covid hospital for positive kids, parents in the lurch

Nagpur: The ongoing bed shortage at government and private hospitals has also left parents of infants and kids in the lurch. A family of six from Mahal is worried as their 13-month-old had been inactive for last one day but they are unable to get her admitted in any private or government hospitals.
The family includes her chartered accountant father, his MTech wife, and grandparents. While others are mild symptomatic, the condition of 63-year-old grandmother too is critical as she is suffering from liver crishosis.
The CA said his toddler daughter had fever since all of them tested positive on September 2. “No NMC official has yet come. We can’t go out to get admission in hospital on our own as the norms may not permit it. I am trying on phone but doctors say they can’t admit a positive kid as they don’t have an exclusive Covid-19 hospital either for adults or kids, infants,” he said, adding he is planning to send his daughter to a hospital in Amravati.
The 34-year-old CA said he was also ready to spend any amount on hospitalization of his mother and daughter, both of whom need urgent tertiary care. “It is a helpless situation in the city now. You got money but there is no bed. I even tried at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) but they told me there was no separate facility for kids,” he said.
He also posted his plight on social media tagging the chief minister’s office, city MP Nitin Gadkari and NMC. “It’s a pathetic situation regarding Covid Patients and Toddler Covid Patient in Nagpur, no availability of beds, no strict rules, no attention by doctors etc. I don’t know this situation will improve or not with current administration not paying required attention…”, his tweet read.
Some paediatrics had expressed similar concerns about lack of facilities for infants, toddlers and kids above 2 years of age.
GMCH officials admitted that they had no separate ward for kids as they were already burdened with severe patients and VIPs. “Beside generally Covid has not affected kids much. We have separate ward for ante-natal care which caters to pregnant women and newborns,” they said.
IGGMCH officials said they have a combine ward for newborns and positive pregnant women also has Covid kids of different ages. “We have observed very less number of kids needing hospitalization for Covid. Yet, we have sufficient beds for kids who are accompanied by a guardian,” said IGGMCH spokesperson.
The CA said he lost hope after refusal by GMCH and around eight big private hospitals including dedicated Covid hospitals and children’s hospitals.