Centre: Approved Rs 40,000 crore for Covid, health infrastructure

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 20

The government today informed the Lok Sabha that it had approved nearly Rs 40,000 crore for prevention of Covid-19 and enhancing health infrastructure in the country, in addition to funds allocated under the National Health Mission.

Responding to a written question by BJP members Dilip Saikia and Ramesh Chander Kaushik in the House, MoS for Home Nityanand Rai said as informed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Centre had been providing required technical and financial assistance to all states and UTs for strengthening their healthcare system.

This, the minister said, included management of the Covid-19 public health challenge, from time to time, and the financial assistance to states and UTs is provided under the National Health Mission (NHM). During 2019-20, funds to the tune of Rs 1,113.21 crore were released to states and UTs towards management of Covid-19, over and above their normal resource envelope under the NHM, he added.

Further, the Centre has approved the “India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package” and Rs 15,000 crore was provided under it in April 2020 with an objective to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by Covid-19.

‘No discrimination in vax allocation’

New Delhi: Brushing aside allegation of discrimination in allocation of vaccines, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said the ministry supplied vaccines as per a state’s population. During a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Mandaviya said states were given vaccine availability projections 15 days in advance. tns

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