Berhampur: The Ganjam administration on Wednesday began a special health check-up drive for children in anticipation of the third COVID-19 wave.
Briefing the media, Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange attributed the decision to hold the drive to the forecast by experts that the third wave of the virus is mostly to affect those below 18 years.
“Although the children are now at home with schools being closed, they can contract the virus from their family members who often go out for work. Keeping this in view, the administration has started a house-to-house health survey of the children,” he said.
The survey is being carried out by ASHA and Anganwadi workers, who have been instructed to maintain a separate checklist of the children. “If any child is found symptomatic, we will immediately conduct the COVID test and admit him/her to the hospital,” the collector added.
He further said that a special paediatric ward is being set up at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur to ensure timely and proper treatment of the infected children.
Stating that the daily caseload in the district has registered a sharp decline with the test positivity rate remaining below 2 per cent, Kulange said that this could be achieved due to the active cooperation of the people who have strictly adhered to the COVID appropriate behaviour.
