India needs specialised healthcare to treat Covid-19 in children: Experts

Country must prepare though there is no science or data to back fears that children will be hit in the next wave of infections.

The medical expertise, equipment and approach needed to treat children with Covid-19 is unique and this is a challenge in India where the health infrastructure has been hit by decades of underfunding and neglect, say experts. Vaccination against the virus too is necessary for children but a host of complex issues need to be resolved first, they say.

The Centre and state governments are increasingly stressing on preparedness to deal with paediatric Covid care: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting with local government officials on May 20, 2021, urged them to collect data on how Covid-19 is affecting children.