The Government of India has taken several initiatives through ‘Whole of Government’ approach during the COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure effective management and availability of sufficient health care infrastructure to meet the increased demand during the pandemic. Following are the details of key schemes launched and implemented by this Ministry to deal with pandemic like COVID-19 and ensure sufficient resources in public health facilities across the country during such pandemics:

To strengthen the Public Health Infrastructure and to effectively manage and respond towards any future pandemics and outbreaks, Pradhan Mantri - Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) was launched on 25^th October, 2021 with an outlay of Rs.64,180 Cr 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. The Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme 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 in responding effectively to the current and future pandemics/disasters.

Under CSS components, support is provided to States/UTs for 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 Crore was approved by Cabinet on 22^nd April 2020 to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19.  Further, an amount of Rs. 8473.73 Crore has been released to States & UTs.

ECRP is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020 for providing support to Primary, Secondary and Tertiary health care 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 hospitals agencies and to States/UTs 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 08^th July 2021 with the financial outlay of Rs.23,123 Crore. The ECRP-II has the Central Sector (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) components. An amount of Rs. 12740.22 Crore has been released to States & UTs under CSS component.

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 including for paediatric care and with measurable outcomes.

This information was given by THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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