Rs. 14744.99 Crore approved for States to effectively fight COVID-19

Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is supporting the efforts of the States/UTs towards management of the COVID – 19 pandemics. In view of the second wave, its spread into rural, peri-urban and tribal areas and the evolving pandemic situation, the Union Cabinet has approved a new scheme ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response & Health System Preparedness Package: Phase-II (ECRP-II package)’ on 8th July 2021 amounting to Rs. 23,123 Crores. This scheme is to be implemented from 01st July 2021 to 31st March 2022.

To fast track the implementation of the ECRP-II, on 22nd July 2021, Rs 1827.80 Crores have been released to the States/UTs as 15% advance to undertaking preparatory activities. Further, 35% of funds are being released today to the States/UTs, thus, making a total of 50% release of funds so as to ensure implementation of critical activities at the State/District levels to prepare the public healthcare systems in response to the evolving pandemic.

This scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with some Central Sector components. It aims to accelerate health system preparedness for immediate responsiveness for early prevention, detection and management, with a focus on health infrastructure development including for Paediatric Care and with measurable outcomes.

Under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) components of the ECRP-II, States/UTs have been supported by way of approvals for Emergency COVID Response Plans (ECRP) to the tune of Rs. 14744.99 Crore. The proposals for the infrastructure to be created have been received from the states.

CSS component of ECRP-II package will support States/ UTs for the following deliverables:

• The creation of 827 Paediatric units in the districts will result in the additional creation of 19030 Oxygen supported beds and 10440 ICU/HDU beds.
• To establish 42 Paediatric Centres of Excellence (Paediatric CoE), at least one in each State/UT, (either in Medical Colleges, State Govt. Hospitals or Central Hospitals such as AIIMS, INIs, etc) for providing Tele-ICU services, mentoring and technical hand-holding to the District Paediatric units.
• To augment 23056 ICU beds in the public healthcare system out of which 20% will be Paediatric ICU beds.
• To provide care closer to the community due to the ingress of COVID-19 in rural, peri-urban and tribal areas, by creating 8010 Pre-fabricated structures for adding additional beds at the existing CHCs, PHCs and SHCs (6-20 bedded units) which will help in the creation of 75218 Oxygen supported beds.
• To establish 203 Field Hospitals (50-100 bedded units) depending on the requirements posed by the States/UTs in tier-II or Tier-III cities and district headquarters which will help in the creation of 13065 Oxygen supported beds.
• To install 961 Liquid Medical Oxygen Storage Tanks with support to 1450 facilities for Medical Gas Pipeline System (MGPS), with an aim to support at least one such unit per district.
• To augment the existing fleet of ambulances, with 5768 Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances.
• To augment the HR support to the States/UTs, financial support is provided for engaging 7281 Post Graduate Residents, 13190 UG Interns, 12941 Final year MBBS students, 9273 final years B.Sc. Nursing students and 15687 final year GNM nursing students and for effective COVID management as per NMC guidelines for the management of COVID-19 as and when needed by the States/UTs.
• To implement Hospital Management Implementation System (HMIS) in 621 district hospitals and 933 other public health care facilities like medical colleges/SDH/CHCsetc (1554 total facilities).
• To augment teleconsultation services in 733 district hubs and providing support to 15632 spokes in the entire country.
• To create and strengthen a total of 433 RT-PCR labs in the districts not covered so far.
• As “Test, Isolate and Treat” and following COVID Appropriate Behaviour at all times, is the national strategy for effective COVID-19 management. Support is being provided for the procurement of 18.64 Crore RT-PCR and 16.55 Crore Rapid Antigen Test Kits to perform at least 35.19 Crore tests in 9 months.
• To meet the requirement of essential medicines for COVID-19 management, including the creation of buffer stock. Approvals have been accorded to 740 districts in the States/UTs for providing essential drugs including buffer stock up to the cost of Rs 1 Crore per district.

ECRP-I for Rs. 15,000 Crore (USD 2 billion) has been released to all states/UTs in April 2021 to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19.