The Centre on Thursday announced a financial package of Rs 15000 crores for ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package‘ to all state governments.
Officials said that the funds sanctioned 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.
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.
It also supports setting up of laboratories and bolster surveillance activities, bio-security preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities.
These interventions and initiatives would be implemented under the overall umbrella of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, officials said.
Significantly, the Union Ministry for Health & Family Welfare is authorized to re-appropriate resources among
components of the package and among the various implementation agencies (National Health Mission, Central Procurement, Railways, Dept of Health Research/ICMR, National Centre for
Disease Control) as per the evolving emergent situation.
The Health Ministry has already disbursed Rs 4113 Crore to all the States and UTs for dealing with the emergency COVID response.
As on date, a total of 223 labs comprising a network of 157 government & 66 private laboratories are conducting a rigorous screening process.