Child rights body seeks Karnataka govt's intervention to protect kids from Covid-19 pandemic

MYSURU: Growing concerns about the possibility of children contracting Covid-19 infection if and when the third wave of the pandemic should strike, chairman of the Karnataka Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to the state government seeking its intervention to take pre-emptive steps for their safety. The commissioner has asked the state government to set up dedicated healthcare facilities for children.
Chairman of the commission Antony Sebastian has pointed to the predictions of the experts who fear that children might bear the brunt during the third iteration of the pandemic. The other recommendations made by Sebastian in his letter to the chief secretary include constituting of a district-level task force to be headed by the respective deputy commissioners. He has also drawn the attention of the government to have enough funds at its disposal so as to allow it to ramp up healthcare infrastructure.
Sebastian called on the government to come up with a definitive plan to ensure the welfare of children who have lost their parents to the pandemic. Pointing to the perils that lay in the path of these orphaned children, he has asked the Karnataka government to prevent their being exploited as labourers. Furthermore, he highlighted the need for government intervention to prevent children from being trafficked, and take cognisance of increasing incidence of child marriages.
The commission chairman sought to point the government’s attention to the steps adopted in neighbouring Maharashtra in treating children infected with Covid-19. “The state government is already acting on our recommendations. District-level committees will be formed to save children during the third wave of the pandemic,” Sebastian added.