Sawant permits parents with up to 10-year-olds to get jab on priority

PANAJI: Given the tepid response to the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive, the state government has changed the criteria for vaccination yet again. Parents of children upto ten years age have been included in the priority group of parents.
Just a day earlier, the government had announced that priority group for vaccinating parents had been increased to parents of children up to five years of age as against the earlier norm of children below two years of age.
“Yesterday we found the response to the vaccination in the 18-44 age group was not as we expected. Today we found the response was a bit better but to encourage people, those parents who have kids up to the age of 10 years can take the vaccines at any of the vaccination centres in the state,” said Sawant after chairing a meeting of 15-member special task force to prepare for the third Covid wave.
“The executive committee has made certain recommendations which have been accepted, particularly regarding training of paediatricians, doctors, nurses which will start from Monday,” said Sawant.
Sawant said that infrastructure is also being readied to handle the third wave. “We have existing infrastructure which we will be able to use, but some equipment we will need to procure. We have told them to start purchasing from June 10,” said Sawant.
A 60-bed paediatric ICU is being established at the super-specialty hospital at Bambolim, intensive care units in private as well as government hospitals will be upgraded as part of the preparations for the third Covid wave.
Experts indicate that the third wave could hit the state by September.
The chief minister said that paediatricians, resident doctors and nurses will be trained in treatment protocols for treating children infected by the novel coronavirus in the third wave.
“There are almost 120 doctors available in Goa and aside from the most senior doctors, all the others will get training on ventilator support. The nurses will also be trained,” said Sawant.