To fight outbreak, Cabinet okays Rs 15,000 cr package

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, April 22

The government today approved Rs 15,000 crore for “India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package”. The funds will be utilised in three phases while for the immediate emergency response, a provision of Rs 7,774 crore has been kept.

In an official statement, the government said the decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The rest of the amount will be used for medium-term support over the next one-four years, which will be provided under the mission mode approach.

“The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit Covid-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and Covid-dedicated treatment facilities, centralised procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthening and building resilient national and state health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks, setting up of laboratories and bolstering surveillance activities, biosecurity preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engaging communities and conducting risk communication activities,” the statement read.

These interventions and initiatives will be implemented under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it said, adding that in the first phase the Health Ministry with the support of all other ministries has already undertaken several activities.

An additional fund of Rs 3,000 crore has already been released to states and UTs for the strengthening of existing health facilities as dedicated Covid hospitals, health centres and care centres.

“Detailed guidelines, protocols and advisory for quarantine, isolation, testing, treatment, disease containment, decontamination, social distancing and surveillance have already been made, as identification of hotspots and appropriate containment strategies are also in full swing,” it said.