The first meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's revamped cabinet on Thursday has announced a new emergency response package of Rs. 23,123 crore to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that the package will be used to boost emergency health infra in states to tackle Covid-19. He said the package approved by Cabinet is to be implemented by Centre and states from July this year to Mar 2022.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi after the cabinet meeting chaired by PM Modi, Mandaviya said this is the second phase of the Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package as the Central government had given Rs 15,000 crore earlier for setting up Covid-dedicated hospitals and health centres across the country.
Mandaviya said that under the new package, the Centre would provide Rs 15,000 crore and states Rs 8,000 crore and the plan would be implemented jointly by them across all the 736 districts of the country to improve medical infrastructure at primary and district health centres.
Around 2.4 lakh normal medical beds and 20,000 ICU beds would be created of which 20 percent would be specially earmarked for children, he said.
The minister said storage facilities for oxygen and medicines would also be created at district level under the plan.
The plan aims to accelerate health system preparedness for immediate responsiveness for early prevention, detection and management of Covid with the focus on infrastructure development including for Paediatric Care and with measurable outcomes, he said.
(PTI inputs)
