Context: Recently, the Central Government has sanctioned Rs15,000 crore to States under the India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package.

• The package will be implemented in three phases between January 2020 and March 2024. Phase 1 will span January 2020 to June 2021, phase 2 from July 2020 to March 2021 and Phase 3 from April 2021 to March 2024.
• The package is a 100% centrally-funded scheme and the funds will be provided under a mission mode approach.
• Amount of Rs7774 crore will be utilised for immediate Covid-19 Emergency Response and rest will be used for medium-term support (1-4 years).
• The amount of Rs4113 crore has already been disbursed to all the States and Union Territories (UTs) dealing with the emergency response to the pandemic.

key objectives of the package

• Mounting emergency response through development of diagnostics and dedicated treatment facilities.
• Strengthening pandemic research, community engagement, risk communication and implementation
• Management, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation.

The States can use the funds for:

• Centralised procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients (Personal Protective Equipment, isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilators, etc.)
• Strengthen and build health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks.
• Setting up of laboratories and bolstering surveillance activities, biosecurity preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities.
• Conducting risk communication activities.

In response to the containment of the coronavirus in India, a total of 223 laboratories comprising a network of 157 government and 66 private laboratories are conducting screening.