Govt. sanctions Rs 15,000 cr package to bolster India's coronavirus fight

NEW DELHI: Government has sanctioned Rs 15,000 cr package to bolster India's coronavirus fight.

The fund will go to 'India #COVID19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'

"The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit Coronavirus in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, centralized 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," according to a press release.

The release further added that, "The major share of the expenditure will be used for mounting robust emergency response, strengthening National and State health systems followed by strengthening pandemic research and multi-sector national institutions and platforms for One Health, community engagement and risk communication and implementation, management, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation component. M/o Health & Family Welfare is authorized to re-appropriate resources among components of the package and among the various implementation agencies (National Health Mission, Central Procurement, Railways, Dept of Health Research/ICMR, National Centre for Disease Control) as per the evolving emergent situation."

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