Highlights

    • Rs. 890.32 cr released as the second installment of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package to 22 States/UTs.

    • States include Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.

    • The amount of the financial assistance is based on the COVID-19 case load in these States/UTs.

    • first installment of Rs. 3000 cr was released in April 2020 to all States/UTs to aid and enabled them to ramp up testing facilities, augment hospital infrastructure, conduct surveillance activities along with procurement of essential equipment, drugs and other supplies.

    • States/UTs have been strengthened with 5,80,342 isolation beds,

    • 1,36,068 oxygen supported beds and 31,255 ICU beds

    • 86,88,357 testing kits and 79,88,366 Vial Transport Media (VTM) have been procured

    • 96,557 human resource has been added in the States/UTs and incentive has been given to 6,65,799 HR

    • package has aided provision of mobility support to 11,821 staff

Objective of 2nd instalment

    • for strengthening of public health facilities infrastructure for testing including procurement and installation of RT-PCR machines

    • RNA extraction kits

    • TRUNAT & CBNAAT machines and BSL-II cabinets

    • strengthening of public health facilities infrastructure for treatment and development of ICU beds

    • installation of oxygen generators, cryogenic oxygen tanks and medical gas pipelines in public health facilities and procurement of bed side oxygen concentrators etc

    • engagement, training and capacity building of necessary Human Resources and incentives to healthcare workforce and volunteers, including ASHAs, on COVID duties

COVID-19 Financial Package

Earlier in May GoI has announced Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package to save the lockdown-battered economy, and focuses on tax breaks for small businesses as well as incentives for domestic manufacturing. The combined package works out to roughly 10 per cent of the GDP, making it among the most substantial in the world. The Rs 20 lakh crore package includes Rs 1.7 lakh crore package of free food grains to poor and cash to poor women and elderly, announced in March, as well as the Reserve Bank’s liquidity measures and interest rate cuts.