Adenovirus: Two more deaths at city hospitals in Kolkata

Two more mangers suffering from fever, cough and respiratory ailments died in two separate government hospitals since Thursday, unofficially raising the death toll to 49 across the state in the last two months.

After meeting state chief secretary HK Dwivedi and health minister NS Nigam, chief minister Mamata Banerjee told at the Nabanna state secretariat on Thursday, “Only two children have died of adenovirus infections in Bengal out of 12 infant deaths recorded in the state in the last one month so far.”

“Most of the deceased had co-morbidities and there is no need to panic, although any death is unfortunate and shocking. We have adequate infrastructure including 5,000 beds and human resource strength like 600 doctors in the government health system to provide treatment to sick children,” said Mamata, who also heads the health ministry.

“Do not refer patients to city hospitals, as district hospitals have adequate infrastructure to treat children. I would request ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers to conduct awareness campaigns in their areas to make people aware of viral diseases,” she added.

The state health department claimed that 654 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and 121 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are in various government hospitals to combat children affected by adenovirus or pneumonia.

Dr Arun Singh, head of the Neonatal Unit at AIIMS, Jaipur and former advisor to Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, said, “As per the international standard, a 10-bed PICU requires basic infrastructure like eight high-flow oxygen machines, three pediatric ventilators, one infusion pump on each bed, four trained doctors and five nurses on each shift.'

A senior pediatrician at a leading government medical college in the city opined, “Most intensive care units, especially in secondary level hospitals in the districts, do not have the minimum infrastructure such as adequately trained doctors and nurses and other logistics-pediatric ventilators to provide treatment for critical child care below two years.”