After the reshuffling of the cabinet, the New Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced Rs. 23,132 crore for COVID-19 management in the first ever meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet ministers met on Thursday. Though it was a virtual meeting, many measures were taken into consideration. 30 ministers attended the meeting and discussed upgradation of the medical infrastructure required in India.
The new health minister said that the government approved Rs 15,000 crore package for the COVID-19 emergency during the second wave of the pandemic.
“Now we know what challenges we faced during the second wave of the pandemic. So in the second phase , we are announcing a package of about Rs. 23,123 crore keeping the future in mind,” new health minister said. He added that both the centre and state will contribute to this package.
This package will be executed from July to March. In these 9 months, provision will be made to make beds available at the primary health centres and community health centres. package will provide 20 thousand ICU beds. These beds will be made so that they can be used in the pediatric wards too. Furthermore, tele-consultation and tele-medicine will be given preference.
The Health minister said that it would consult all the state governments to chalk out a plan for future. The plan should be to face the challenge of beds, oxygen and other facilities. He further said that the centre will give Rs. 15,000 crore and state government will give 8,000 crore out of the Rs. 23,000 crore.
