A new emergency response package worth ₹ 23,123 crore to tackle the coronavirus pandemic was announced by the central government on Thursday, after the first meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expanded cabinet on Thursday.

The package will help set up paediatrics departments in 736 districts, 20,000 new ICU beds and acquire buffer stocks of medicines, newly appointed health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said

This scheme aims to accelerate health system preparedness for immediate responsiveness for early prevention, detection and management, with the focus on health infrastructure development including for Paediatric Care and with measurable outcomes, the government said.

The Phase-II of the Package has Central Sector (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) components.

Under the Central Sector components, support would be provided to Central Hospitals, AIIMS, and other Institutions of National Importance such as Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, RML, Delhi, , PGIMER, Chandigarh, JIPMER, Puducherry.

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) would be strengthened by providing Genome Sequencing machines, besides sanctioning Scientific Control room, Epidemic Intelligence Services (EIS) and INSACOG Secretariat support. 

• Support would be provided for implementation of Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) in all the District Hospitals of the Country.
• Support would be provided for expanding the National Architecture of eSanjeevani Tele-consultation platform.
• Support would also be provided for IT interventions, including strengthening the Central War room and strengthening Country’s COVID-19 Portal, 1075 COVID help lines and COWIN platform.   

Under the CSS components, the efforts are aimed at strengthening district and sub district capacity for an effective and rapid response to the pandemic.  States/UTs would be supported to:

Create Paediatric units in all 736 districts and also, to establish Paediatric Centre of Excellence (PaediatricCoE) in each State/UT, (either in Medical Colleges, State Govt. Hospitals or Central Hospitals such as AIIMS, INIs, etc) for providing Tele-ICU services, mentoring and technical hand-holding to the District Paediatric units.

• Augment 20,000 ICU beds in the public healthcare system out of which 20% will be Paediatric ICU beds.
• It will also augment the existing feet of ambulances with the addition of  8,800 vehicles.
• Engage Undergraduate and post-graduate medical interns and final year MBBS, BSc, & GNM nursing students for effective COVID management.
• As “Test, Isolate and Treat” and following-up COVID Appropriate Behaviour at all the times, is the national strategy for effective COVID-19, support is provided to the States to maintain at least 21.5 lakhs per day.