The central government approved a fully funded “India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package”.
New Delhi: A five-year scheme, fully funded by the central government, worth Rs 15,000 crores to strengthen national and state-level health systems was approved on Wednesday as India fights to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government said.
As per GOI, the project will be divided into three phases between January 2020 to March 2024.
Development of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, ICUs (intensive care unit) and supply of oxygen in medical centres are some of the many activities to be funded under this scheme.
The Quint reported that a circular signed by National Health Mission Director, Vandana Gurnani says, “Project will be implemented with the objectives of emergency COVID-19 response, strengthening national and state health systems to support prevention & preparedness, procurement of essential medical equipment, consumables and drugs, strengthening of surveillance activities including setting up of laboratories and Bio-security preparedness,”
The same circular says, “With the objective of emergency COVID-19 response, (a fund has been set up for) strengthening national and state health systems to support prevention and preparedness, procurement of essential medical equipment, consumables and drugs and strengthening of surveillance activities, including setting up laboratories and bio-security preparedness.”
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For the first phase activities listed include disinfection of hospitals and government ambulances, as well as the purchase of PPEs and N-95 face masks.
The highly infectious COVID-19 has killed 17 people in India in the last 24 hours alone, taking the death toll to 166. The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus rose to 5,734 on Thursday, according to government data.
However, the number of active COVID-19 cases is 5,095, as many as 472 people were cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said.
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