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The Government of India 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 during that period.
Following are the details of key schemes launched and implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to deal with pandemics like COVID-19 and ensure sufficient resources in public health facilities across the country during such pandemics. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Pradhan Mantri - Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) on October 25, 2021, with an outlay of Rs. 64,180 crores to be implemented over five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26, to fill critical gaps in health infrastructure, surveillance and health research - spanning both the urban and rural areas. This mission was launched to strengthen the public health infrastructure and to effectively manage and respond towards any future pandemics and outbreaks. The Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with some Central Sector components. The measures under the scheme focus on developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the continuum of care at all levels viz. primary, secondary and tertiary and on preparing health systems to respond effectively to current and future pandemics/disasters. Under CSS components, support is provided to States/UTs for the construction of Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) in rural and urban areas, establishment/strengthening of Block Public Health Units, Integrated District Public Health Labs 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. The India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package (ECRP-I) for Rs. 15,000 crores were approved by the cabinet on April 22, 2020, to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19. Further, an amount of Rs. 8473.73 crores has been released to States & UTs. ECRP is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020 to provide support to Primary, Secondary and Tertiary healthcare facilities. This scheme is aimed at building a resilient health system to support preparedness and prevention functions for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and any such future outbreaks in India. Further, to provide support to Central hospital agencies and to States/UT governments to augment their existing response to the second wave and the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the ECRP, Phase-II was approved by the cabinet on July 8, 2021, with the financial outlay of Rs. 23,123 crores. The ECRP-II has the Central Sector (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) components. An amount of Rs. 12740.22 crores has been released to States & UTs under the CSS component. The scheme aimed to accelerate health system preparedness for immediate responsiveness for early prevention, detection, and management of COVID-19, with a focus on health infrastructure development including pediatric care and with measurable outcomes. (ANI)
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