Health minister asks stated to expedite progress under ECRP-II to strengthen health infrastructure

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked the states to review and expedite implementation of activities under ECRP-II package for strengthening the health infrastructure in a virtual meeting held with 9 states and UTs on Tuesday. Mandaviya urged the health ministers and the state authorities to plug the existing gaps by efficiently utilizing the amount sanctioned for various infra projects.

With strengthened health infrastructure, we can meet any health emergency and public health crisis with better preparedness, said Mandaviya, while interacting with the health ministers and other state officials of – Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Ladakh and Uttar Pradesh – virtually on Tuesday.

“In view of a substantial number of Active Cases across the country recuperating from COVID19 in home isolation, it is important to focus on expanding the reach of tele-consultation services for providing timely quality healthcare to the beneficiaries”, Mandaviya said. He said further that it will prove a game-changer and will be of immense value and importance for the hard-to-reach and far flung areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season.

The states were advised to ensure regular updation of availability, occupancy and use of infrastructure like hospital beds, PSA plants, oxygen equipments.The Union Health Minister re-emphasised the need for ramping up testing in the states and UTs. The states and UTs reporting a lower share of RTPCR testing were requested to ramp up tests through RTPCR. States and UTs were also reminded to keep a close watch on the emerging clusters and hotspots and monitor the trend of hospitalised cases along with the deaths in the state.