The Union Cabinet on Thursday announced a Rs 23,123 croresecond emergency Covid package to improve the facilities in the health sectoracross the country, which will be used by both the Central and state governmentsto deal with the issues facing the country with regard to the second wave ofthe pandemic.
The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired byPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, a day after a major reshuffle in theUnion Cabinet.
Addressing a press conference here, newly-appointed UnionHealth Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said: "Rs 23,123 crore package to begiven to deal with the problems that occurred in the second wave of Covid-19.The package will be used jointly by the Central and state governments."
He said the Centre will share Rs 15,000 crore while thestate governments will share Rs 8,000 crore of the said package.
"We have to collectively fight the Covid pandemic.The limitation period is maximum of nine months. We have to get it done quickly,"he said.
"Our duty is to help the states in every possibleway," Mandaviya added.
The Health Minister said that the package includes workslike what should be done to ensure supply of critical medicines, oxygen supplyand to stop the spread of Covid among children in the future.
Mandaviya said the package aims to increase 2.44 lakhbeds in community and primary health centers across all states, to construct pediatric care units in 736 districts across the country, and to build anadditional 20,000 ICU beds.
He also said that through this package, the governmentaims to install 10,000-liter storage capacity for oxygen in the next ninemonths in every district to overcome oxygen shortage.
"This emergency package is designed to deal with theCovid surge, which will be implemented in nine months," the HealthMinister said.
He also said that in April last year, the government hadannounced the first emergency Covid package of Rs 15,000 crore, which was utilized well and showed good results.