In a first Cabinet briefing after Wednesday’s big reshuffle, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced Rs 23,132 cr package for Covid-19 response in the country.
New Delhi| Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with the Cabinet on Thursday. This was the first cabinet meeting after a major cabinet reshuffle. This meeting was held virtually. It was attended by all 30 cabinet ministers. Immediately after this meeting, a meeting of the Council of Ministers was also held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
In a first Cabinet briefing after Wednesday’s big reshuffle, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced Rs 23,132 cr package for Covid-19 response in the country. Both Centre and states will contribute to it.
This package will be executed in 9 months i.e from July to March. Under this package, provision has been made to make beds available at primary health center and community health center level in every state. Package will also be arranged for 20 thousand ICU beds will be built. These ICU beds will also have hybrid arrangements keeping the pediatric population in mind. Special attention will be paid to telemedicine and tele-consultation.
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Addressing concerns about the predicted third wave, Mandaviya said, āPediatric care centers will be formed in 736 districts, 20,000 ICU beds will be created under the Covid relief fund.” District authorities will be enabled to create buffer stocks of medicines, to avoid any shortage amid third wave. Health Minister said it is a collective fight against Covid-19.
Mansukh Mandaviya said that in 2020, the government had given the first package of Rs 15,000 crore to deal with Coronavirus pandemic. With the help of this, the number of dedicated hospitals increased from 163 to 4,389. Earlier there were not only Covid Health Centers, now there are 8,338. The number of Covid Care Centers has increased to 10000. Oxygen beds have become more than 4 lakh.
The meeting also saw major decisions regarding Agriculture department. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed that in the cabinet meeting, provision has been made for the use of agricultural infrastructure fund as well as discount in interest on loans. The government has planned to disburse Rs 1 lakh crore to farmers through mandis.
Significant amendments have been made in the Coconut Act for the benefit of coconut farmers. Under this a coconut board will be made. Its CEO will not be from political background.
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