Govt issues guidelines for care of children affected by Covid-19

The government has come out with guidelines for the care and protection of the children affected by COVID-19 and fixed responsibilities for the states, district magistrates, police, Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.

According to the Women and Child Development Ministry, the states need to identify the children in distress through outreach and surveys and prepare a database with a profile of each child, along with the details of their specific needs and requirements, and ensure that the data is uploaded on the Track Child portal.

The governments have also been asked to temporarily allocate child care institutions to house those children whose parents have been unwell due to Covid-19.

The Ministry has also issued directions to hospitals to collect the contact details of trustworthy persons known to the patients in the admission form, to be contacted for taking care of children in case of any eventuality.

The states have also been asked to launch a local helpline number manned by experts for giving psychosocial care or support to the children in distress.