New Delhi: The Centre has released Rs 890.32 crore as the second installment of the Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package to 22 states and Union Territories.
In a press release, the government said that the amount of the financial assistance is based on the Covid-19 case load in these states/UTs. The Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package was announced by the Prime Minister in his address to the nation on 24 March 2020, in which he said the government has provisioned 15,000 crore rupees for treating coronavirus patients and strengthening the medical infrastructure of the country.
The second instalment of the aid will be used to strengthen public health infrastructure for testing, including procurement and installation of RT-PCR machines, RNA extraction kits, TrueNat and CB-NAAT machines, bolster infrastructure for treatment and development of ICU beds, installation of oxygen generators and procurement of bedside oxygen concentrators among others. The first installment of Rs. 3,000 crore was released in April 2020.
