Bengaluru,  Karnataka government decided to set up pediatric ward in all district hospitals across the state ahead of the pandemic's third wave in which even children are likely to be affected, said health minister K. Sudhakar on Tuesday.

"A pediatric ward will be set up in all the 31 districts hospitals across the state as part of our preparedness for a possible pandemic third wave later this year to treat children contract the virus," Sudhakar told reporters here.

In the pandemic's second wave that hit the state since April first week, though Covid tally shot up to 26 lakhs till Monday, the percentage of children in 1-10 years of age who tested positive was about 20.

"Each pediatric ward will have about 80 beds with pediatricians and nurses for treating Covid-affected children. Medical graduates and technical staff will be trained at the state-run Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in the city in pediatric care," said Sudhakar, a medical doctor by profession.

The state health department will set up oxygen generation plant in each taluk and district hospitals across the state for treating severe Covid patients.

"We are also setting up 7 genomic labs to study the mutated strains detected during the pandemic's second wave and to understand the virus better," he said.

The labs be located in 5 medical colleges in select districts and Wenlock hospital at Mangaluru and state-run hospital at Vijayapura in the state's northwest region.

Meanwhile, the state has received 1.64-lakh doses of Covaxin vaccine from the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech to inoculate citizens above 45 years of age who are due for second jab.