New Delhi: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved significant investments to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore for India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package. The funds sanctioned will be utilised in three phases. For immediate COVID-19 Emergency Response an amount of Rs 7,774 crore has been provisioned and the rest has been allocated for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under 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 COV1D-dedicatcd treatment facilities, centralised procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient National and State health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks, setting up of laboratories and bolster surveillance activities, bio-security preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities. These interventions and initiatives would be implemented under the overall umbrella of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In Phase 1, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with the support of all the other line ministries has undertaken activities like: