Th health ministry has already disbursed Rs. 4113 Crore to all the States and UTs for dealing with the emergency COVID response.The centre today sanctioned Rs 15,000 crore package to strengthen India’s fight against the novel coronavirus. The funds allocated will be utilized for immediate COVID-19 Emergency Response (amount of Rs 7774 crores) and rest for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under mission mode approach, read a press statement.
The “COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package” will be implemented in three phases – from January 2020 to June 2020, from July 2020 to March 2021 and from April 2021 to March 2024. The fund will be divided among all states and union territories.
“The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, centralized procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient National and State health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks, setting up of laboratories and bolster surveillance activities, bio-security preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities,” read the document.
The centre on March 27 had announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package aimed at providing a safety net for those hit the hardest by the Covid-19 lockdown, along with insurance cover for frontline medical personnel. About 800 million people will get free cereals and cooking gas apart from cash through direct transfers for three months.
Till now , a total of 223 labs comprising a network of 157 government & 66 private laboratories are conducting rigorous screening process. The health ministry has already disbursed Rs. 4113 Crore to all the States and UTs for dealing with the emergency COVID response.
Source: indiatimes.com