The Medanta chairman pointed to the fact that Covid-19 vaccine drive for kids is yet to be announced.
Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director, questioned on Sunday if states are in a “rush” to reopen schools.
“Is it that we should be patient for another few months, then a vaccine arrives and children get vaccinated…or are we in a rush to open schools,” he questioned. He stressed that the children in India aren’t being vaccinated yet.
Children in India are not being vaccinated. If enough children fall sick, we don’t have good facilities to take care of them. Given our population size, we should be cautious. The fact is that a vaccine is now round the corner,” Dr. Trehan told .
Cautioning against prevailing cirumstances, Trehan questioned as to what was the reason to rush into reopening of schools.
“Is it that we should be patient for another few months, then a vaccine arrives and children get vaccinated and go to schools, or are we in a rush to open schools for what reason I don’t know? Extreme caution should be used regarding in what circumstances we reopen schools,” he opined.
Earlier on Saturday, Dr. Naveet Wig of AIIMS said it was important to weigh the pros and cons and look at risks as well. We have to save our children, he said, urging all to maintain respiratory hygiene, cleanliness and ensure usage of masks.
However, most states in the country have decided to reopen schools even as medical experts advised authorities to tread with caution, amid looming threat of an imminent third wave of Covid-19.
Quite recently, the Delhi government decided to reopen schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges and coaching institutions will reopen from September 1, following a marked marked improvement in the COVID-19 situation here.
