Covid-19: Govt to develop paediatric units, set up additional hospital beds amid third-wave warning

The govt. has focused accelerating well being system preparedness and reply instantly to early prevention, detection, and administration. (Image courtesy: IE)

The Union Cupboard has permitted Rs 23,123 crore below Section II of the federal government’s Covid-19 Emergency Response & Well being System Preparedness Package deal amid the pandemic’s second wave. Of the full quantity, states will bear Rs 8,000 crore whereas the rest can be borne by the Centre. This was the primary assembly of the Cupboard following a large-scale reshuffle on Wednesday. The federal government has focused accelerating well being system preparedness and reply instantly to early prevention, detection, and administration.

The package deal pays particular concentrate on kids, more likely to be most susceptible to a 3rd wave of the virus, with a provision for paediatric models in all 736 district hospitals below the Centrally Sponsored Scheme element. An extra 20,000 ICU beds may even be arrange, of which 20% can be reserved for kids. There’s additionally a provision so as to add extra hospital beds and set up greater discipline hospitals in tier II/III cities and district headquarters.

New Well being Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced that the central element would even be used to enhance the ambulance fleet and create a buffer inventory for important medicines. The federal government may even set up 1,050 liquid medical oxygen storage tanks with medical gasoline pipeline system.

It’s going to additionally lengthen extra assist for IT interventions, together with increasing tele-consulting services in all districts in addition to management rooms and helplines on the state and district stage.

The scheme’s Central Sector element contains provisions to repurpose for Covid-19 6,688 beds at AIIMS, central hospitals, and different establishments, IT methods together with a Covid-19 portal, and a teleconsultation platform — eSanjeevani. The platform presently offers 50,000 tele-consultations a day at current. The federal government goals to scale it as much as 5 lakh every day consultations. It’s going to additionally set up an built-in management and command centre and strengthen the CoWin platform and Nationwide Centre for Illness Management.