Govt. hospitals to screen children amid pneumonia outbreak in China

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday said two government hospitals — Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya — will start screening child patients admitted for respiratory ailments through multiplex PCR tests.

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Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday said two government hospitals — Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya — will start screening child patients admitted for respiratory ailments through multiplex PCR tests.

These tests, the Minister explained, will be able to detect if the children are being affected by a new kind of pathogen.

The announcement comes in the wake of an advisory by the Union Health Ministry to States on November 26 to immediately review public health preparedness in view of the recent reports indicating a surge in respiratory illness in children in northern China.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting with officials and health experts, Mr. Bharadwaj said there is no need to panic and that directions have been issued to the authorities concerned to procure an anti-viral drug for children, administered in such cases, which could be used in case of an emergency.

“Till now, no new pathogens have been detected. But as a precautionary measure, paediatric departments have been directed to run broad spectrum tests on children admitted with symptoms [of respiratory ailments] to detect any new pathogens,” he said.