Government of India has provided the required technical support and has also supported all the states through logistic and financial support to further strengthen the existing health infrastructure to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Union Government has provided financial support to States/UTs for ramping up Health Infrastructure and support all aspects of management of COVID-19.

• During the F.Y. 2019-20, funds to the tune of Rs.1113.21 crore was released to the States/UTs under NHM.
• In September 2020, the Union Government allowed the states to spend maximum 35% of annual allocation of funds under SDRF for the financial year 2019-20. The ceiling was further enhanced to 50% during the financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22 for containment measures of COVID-19.
• During the FY 2020-21, funds to the tune of Rs. 8257.88 crore has been released to the States/UTs towards the India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package.
• In addition, ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response & Health System Preparedness Package: Phase-II’ has also been approved by the Cabinet with Rs 23,123 crores (with Rs. 15,000 Cr as Central Component & Rs 8,123 Cr as State component). So far Rs. 1827.78 crore has been released to States/UTs in 2021-22 under ECRP Phase-II in FY 2021-22.

It includes support to State/UT level for ramping up Health Infrastructure including those in rural, tribal and peri-urban areas closer to the community, providing support for procurement of drugs and diagnostics to enhance service delivery at district and sub district levels for management of COVID-19 cases (including pediatric care), for maintaining a buffer of drugs, support for IT Interventions such as implementation of Hospital Management Information System, expanding access to tele-consultations in all districts, and support for capacity building and training for all aspects of management of COVID-19.

• As on 30^th July 2021, a total of 4.23 crore N-95 masks, 1.77 crore PPE kits, 48,420 ventilators and 1.03 core units of Remdesivir have been provided to States/UTs/Central Government Institutions.
• Further, under the National COVID Vaccination Program, Government of India is procuring vaccines and providing them free of cost to States and UTs. As on 31^st July 2021, a total of about 48.40 crore doses have been supplied to States/UTs from all sources i.e. Government of India’s Covid vaccine supply free of cost to all States/UTs, and Private Hospitals procured Covid vaccine.

Some of the other ongoing initiatives to further strengthen healthcare infrastructure include:

• With the intent to reduce the risk of cross infection to non-COVID patients as well as to maintain continuity of non-COVID essential health services in the country, a three-tier arrangement of dedicated COVID-19 health facilities [(i) COVID Care Center (CCC); (ii) Dedicated COVID Health Centre (DCHC) and (iii) Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH)] has been implemented in the country.
• Government of India, to supplement the hospital facilities has roped in tertiary care hospitals under ESIC, Defence, Railways, paramilitary forces, Steel Ministry etc. Further, many large temporary treatment facilities were established by DRDO to manage surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.
• The isolation bed capacity and ICU bed capacity which was only 10,180 and 2,168 before the first lockdown (as on 23^rd March 2020) in being enhanced continuously and is currently at 18,21,845 isolation beds and 1,22,035 ICU beds (as on 30^th July 2021).
• Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY provides free health cover up to Rs. 5 lakhs per year per family. Beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY can avail free treatment of COVID-19 as well as post-COVID related complications including Mucormycosis, etc. under the scheme.
• The daily liquid medical oxygen (LMO) supply, which was about 1292 MTs per day in February 2021 increased to 8593 MTs in April 2021. On 28^th May 2021, a total of 10,250 MTs of LMO was allocated to the states. This was done by enhancement of LMO production in steel plants as well as in other LMO plants. Restrictions were imposed on industrial use of oxygen. 
• A dynamic and transparent framework for allocation of medical oxygen in consultation with States/UTs and all the stakeholders such as relevant Ministries, manufacturers/suppliers of liquid oxygen etc. was prepared.
• Online digital solutions viz. Oxygen Demand Aggregation system (ODAS) and Oxygen Digital Tracking System (ODTS) have been developed to ascertain the demand for medical oxygen from all medical facilities and to track their transportation.
• To avoid wastage of medical oxygen, guidelines on rational use of oxygen were issued on 25^th September 2020, and further revised and disseminated to States on 25^th April 2021.
• 1,02,400 oxygen cylinders were procured in April and May of 2020 and distributed to States. Further orders for additional 1,27,000 cylinders have been placed on 21.04.2021 (54,000 jumbo cylinders (D type) and 73,000 regular cylinders (B type). Deliveries of the same have started and 53,056 (40,729 B-type and 12,327 D-type) cylinders have been delivered as on 26^th July 2021.
• To generate oxygen at the health facility level, PSA plants are being established in each district hospitals, especially in far flung areas enabling the hospitals to become self-sufficient in generation of oxygen for their needs and thereby, reduce the burden on the medical oxygen supply grid across the country.
• Further, to fast-track the availability of Medical Oxygen in rural and peri-urban areas, more than 39,000 oxygen concentrators have been allocated to various States.
• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare continues to provide technical guidance for managing various aspects of COVID-19. So far more than 150 guidelines/advisories/SoPs/plans have been provided to States/UTs. Taking note of ingress of COVID-19 pandemic in peri-urban and rural areas, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on 16^th May 2021 issued an SOP on COVID-19 Containment & Management in Peri-urban, Rural & Tribal areas.
• COVID-19 treatment protocols and advisories both for adults as well as pediatric age groups were issued and widely disseminated.

 

The Minister of State (The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare), Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

 

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HFW/PQ-Special Funds to States for Covid-19/3rdAugust2021/8

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