India News | Under ECRP I and II, Govt Gave Rs 15k Cr & Rs 23.12k to States for Improve Health Infra: Govt
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Under Emergency Response Package (ECRP) I and II, the government has provided Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 23,123 crore, respectively, to states for augmentation of health infrastructure, oxygen-supported beds, isolation beds, ICUs and human resources etc, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday.
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Under Emergency Response Package (ECRP) I and II, the government has provided Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 23,123 crore, respectively, to states for augmentation of health infrastructure, oxygen-supported beds, isolation beds, ICUs and human resources etc, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday.
To review the preparedness of the entire spectrum of oxygen equipment, including ventilators, Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants, oxygen concentrators and oxygen cylinders, and for the timely and effective management of COVID-19, the government has constituted different Empowered Groups (EG), including EG 4 on oxygen-related work, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.
Apart from the monitoring by Empowered Groups, weekly review meetings are being held by the ministry with nodal officers of states and UTs to review medical oxygen infrastructure preparedness and for timely and effective management of rising COVID-19 cases.
The outcomes of these meetings are installation and commissioning of all PSA plants under PM-CARES, monitoring of establishment of PSA plants under PSUs, Government of India/state funds, mock drills of all PSA plants conducted, capacity building for PSA plant maintenance, oxygen audit by all states and UTs, training of oxygen stewards for rationale use of the gas.
Government of India has provided the necessary financial and technical assistance to all states and UTs for building up oxygen infrastructure, Pawar said.
"Under Emergency Response Package (ECRP) I and II, the government has provided Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 23,123 crore, respectively, to the states for augmentation of health infrastructure, oxygen supported beds, isolation beds, ICUs and human resources etc," she said in a written reply.
Under India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package(ECRP-II), various initiatives have been taken by the government to augment the demand for proving adequate facilities for children for Covid management in states and UTs, Pawar said in response to another question.
The states and UTs are supported for establishing paediatric care units in all districts. For district paediatric care unit, oxygen beds, ICU beds and HDU beds with equipments are supported. Across the country, 718 paediatric care units have been approved, the minister said.
This budget approved for establishing paediatric care unitw is utilised by states and UTs for infrastructure preparedness at the facility and for preparation of stay of parent or caregiver along with the child in the hospital.
Further, support is provided to the states to augment ICU beds at medical colleges, district hospitals, SDHs, CHCs, etc duly reserving 20 per cent for the paediatric ICU beds. This is in addition, to the Paediatric ICU beds set up in district paediatric units.
Also, states and UTs are supported for establishing the paediatric Centre of Excellence (CoE) in each state and UT. The CoEs are providing tele-ICUs, mentoring and technical hand- holding to district paediatric units. Across the country, 43 Paediatric Centre of Excellence are approved. Under the scheme, states are also supported for maintaining buffer stock for essential medicines required for effective COVID-19 management, in addition to provision for required drugs and diagnostics, Pawar said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)