Cabinet approves “India COVID 19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package: Phase II”

Source: PIB

What is the News?

The Union Cabinet has approved a new scheme ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response & Health System Preparedness Package: Phase-II’ for FY 2021-22.

Objectives of the Scheme:

• The scheme aims to accelerate the health system’s preparedness by providing an immediate response for early prevention, detection, and management with the focus on health infrastructure development including pediatric care.

Duration of the Scheme:

• The scheme would be implemented from July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.

Components: The scheme has Central Sector (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) components. These include:

Central Sector(CS) Component: Under this, support would be provided for:

• Setting up Covid exclusive beds at Central Hospitals, AIIMS, and other Institutions of National Importance
• Providing Genome Sequencing machines to National Centre for Disease Control(NCDC).
• Implementation of Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) in all the District Hospitals of the Country
• Expanding the National Architecture of Sanjevani Tele-consultation platform
• Information Technology(IT) interventions including strengthening of the Central War room, COVID-19 Portal, and 1075 COVID helplines.

Centrally Sponsored Schemes(CSS) Components: Under this, States/UTs would be supported to:

• Create Paediatric units in all districts and also establish Paediatric Centre of Excellence.
• Build 20,000 ICU beds in the public healthcare system, out of which 20% will be Pediatric ICU beds.
• Install Liquid Medical Oxygen(LMO) Storage Tanks with an aim to support at least one such unit per district.
• Increase the existing feet of ambulances – 8,800 ambulances will be added under the package.
• Engage Undergraduate and postgraduate medical interns

Flexible support to the Districts for meeting the requirement of essential medicines for COVID-19 management