New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) The Centre took several initiatives through the "whole of government" approach during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure effective management and availability of sufficient healthcare infrastructure to meet the increased demand, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday.
In a written reply, Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel provided details of the key schemes launched and implemented by the ministry to deal with pandemics such as COVID-19 and ensure sufficient resources in public health facilities around the country during such outbreaks.
To strengthen the public health infrastructure and effectively manage and respond to any future pandemics and outbreaks, the Pradhan Mantri - Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission was launched in October 2021 with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore, to be implemented over five years, to fill critical gaps in health infrastructure, surveillance and research.
The scheme is centrally sponsored with some central sector components, she said.
Measures under the scheme focus on developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the continuum of care at all levels in responding effectively to current and future pandemics/disasters.
Under the centrally-sponsored components, support is provided to states and Union Territories for construction of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in rural and urban areas, establishment and strengthening of block public health units, integrated district public health laboratories in all districts and critical care hospital blocks.
Central sector components majorly support interventions focusing on enhancing capacities for surveillance and health emergency response, research, pandemic preparedness and One Health approach to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks in animals and humans, Patel said.
The India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package (ECRP-I) for Rs 15,000 crore was approved by the Union Cabinet in April 2020 to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by the pandemic.
An additional Rs 8,473.73 crore was released to states and Union Territories, Patel said.
ECRP is a central sector scheme launched in 2020 for providing support to primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.
It aims to build a resilient health system to support preparedness and prevention functions for the management of COVID-19 and future outbreaks, she added.
To provide support to central hospital agencies and to states and Union Territories to augment their existing response to the second wave and the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the ECRP-II was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2021 with a financial outlay of Rs 23,123 crore.
ECRP-II has central sector and centrally-sponsored schemes. Rs 12,740.22 crore was released to states and Union Territories under the centrally-sponsored scheme component, Patel stated.
The scheme aimed to accelerate health system preparedness for immediate responsiveness for early prevention, detection and management of COVID-19, with the focus on health infrastructure development.