Delhi, Maharashtra Brace For Possible Covid Third Wave

Witnessing the havoc wreaked by Covid second wave, the authorities of Delhi and Maharashtra, the worst-hit, began bracing for a possible third wave, even when there is no concrete scientific evidence to prove its occurrence.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government has imported 6,000 oxygen cylinders from China and that they would be stored in three depots, for use in case of Covid third wave.

Kejriwal said the second wave was waning and that the AAP government has begun preparations for the third wave. “Of the 6,000 oxygen cylinders booked from China, 4,400 have been received. The remaining 1,600 will arrive in 2-3 days,” he said.

Kejriwal thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Beijing for their assistance in importing the oxygen cylinders.

Depots for oxygen cylinders from China

The Delhi city government is creating three depots for the cylinders for giving to people requiring them, he said, adding that they can also be used to create additional oxygen beds at hospitals.

“In case of a third wave of Covid-19, these oxygen cylinders can be utilised to ready 3,000 oxygen beds. Perhaps, this is the largest such consignment brought to India since the outbreak of the pandemic,” he said.

He said HCL and Give India Foundation donated for the import of the oxygen cylinders.

“Besides, we are purchasing oxygen concentrators on a large scale. Oxygen concentrator banks have been set up in all the districts to provide them to people in need. We would also buy oxygen tanks and create oxygen storage space,” he said.

Reportedly, Maharashtra too has plans to increase the number of paediatric Covid beds to nearly 600, amidst fear of Covid third wave likely to affect children and youth in the country.

Sources said the state is also planning to create graded healthcare facilities for managing moderate and severe Covid cases in children. In Mumbai, the Birhan Mumbai Corporation is planning to arrange 500 beds exclusively for kids that will be gradually augmented.

On Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to around 6,300 paediatricians and urged them to use medicines for children judiciously.

Meanwhile, members of the paediatric task force also recommended creation of paediatric Covid care hospitals (PCCH) and paediatric high dependency units (HDU) at district and sub-centre levels while the existing ICUs should be provided with more beds and manpower for the upcoming third wave.

Beds, paediatricians being readied

The state is reportedly planning to increase the number of beds by nearly three-fold by August-September.

“Every medical college witnessing 150 admissions has been asked to create 50-bed paediatric Covid wards, while other facilities with more inflow will create 100-bed wards,” the task force members said.

It is estimated that at least 300 paediatricians and 700 staffers will be required to augment the new facilities.

Many doctors felt that though there is no certainty that the third wave would strike the children, it is better to gear up to face such a situation as children will remain unvaccinated.

The task force members pointed out that reinfections were rare in children and that there were no reports of children suffering from mucormycosis.