New Delhi: In order to boost the Covid care facilities to tackle any future Covid wave, the government has cleared a Rs 23,000 crore special package, which will be jointly implemented by the Centre and States over the next nine months, said the newly appointed health minister Mansukh Lal Mandavia.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday.
“Given the problems faced by us during the second Covid wave, the Cabinet has approved the second phase of Covid Emergency Response Package of Rs 23,123 crore,” Mandavia told reporters after the meeting of the Cabinet.
Mandavia, who holds the dual charge of health and family welfare, and also of chemicals and fertilisers, said both the Centre and States will jointly implement the package and money will be given to States.
“The Centre will contribute an amount of Rs Rs 15,000 crore while States will contribute Rs 8,000 crore,” he added.
Mandavia said the second phase of Covid Emergency Response package will be implemented in consultation states after finding out about their requirements.
“The package has been designed to tackle the problems faced by the country during the peak of the second Covid wave so that there is no shortage of oxygen, no shortage of critical medicines. And we will also see how we can tackle the Covid if it affects children in future,” said the minister.
How the money will be utilised
The health minister said the utilisation of money would be monitored through a centralised digital dashboard and the money will also be used in supporting the tele-medicine and tele-consultation facilities.
According to Mandavia, the money will also be utilised in setting up beds in every state at Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) and Community Healthcare Centres (CHC) level. 2,44,000 beds will be set up under this scheme and pediatric care centres will also be established in 736 districts of the country.
In addition to this, 20,000 ICU beds will be established under the package. Out of these 20,000 ICU beds, 20% beds will be hybrid in nature so that they can be used for treatment of both kids and adults, said the minister.
