Centre to Fully Fund COVID-19 Emergency Package for States, UTs

Centre to Fully Fund COVID-19 Emergency Package for States, UTs

A hospital turned into COVID-19 Treatment Centre in Mumbai.

The government of India on Wednesday, 8 April approved a centrally funded "India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package" aiming at strengthening national and state health systems.

As per GOI, the project will be divided into three phases between January 2020 to March 2024.

A circular signed by Vandana Gurnani National Health Mission Director says,

"Project will be implemented with the objectives of emergency COVID-19 response, strengthening national and state health systems to support prevention and preparedness, procurement of essential medical equipment, consumables and drugs, strengthening of surveillance activities including setting up of laboratories and Bio-security preparedness."

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This circular is addressed to additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and commissioners (Health) of all states/union territories in India.

It further adds, "The MoHFW is releasing funds (as indicated in annexure) under the immediate response of this Package for your States/UT under the National Health Mission for implementation of phase 1 up to June 2020."

The key activities to be implemented under Phase -1 includes:

• Support to states/UTs for the development of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and other hospitals, Isolation blocks, negative pressure isolation rooms, ICUs with ventilators, oxygen supply in hospitals, strengthening of laboratories in hospitals, hiring of additional human resources and incentives to human resource and community health volunteers.

• Procurement of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), N95 masks and ventilators, over and above what is being procured and supplied by the Government of India.

• Strengthening of identified laboratories and expansion of diagnostics, capacities

• Outreach, survey and community surveillance activities including

  mobility support fon the same and training and orientation of health workers and volunteers

• Disinfection of hospitals, government ambulances, etc.

The three phases of the project are:

• Phase-1 from January 2020 to June 2020

• Phase-2 from July 2020 to March 2021

• Phase-3 from April 2021 to March 2024

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