Cabinet approves ₹1,544 crore for Covid management in city

The allocated amount will be invested on multiple aspects of Covid-19 management, which involves tests, laboratories, isolation facilities, hospital beds, intensive care units, ventilators, medicines, and patient care services, said the government.

The Delhi cabinet on Friday approved an additional allocation of ₹1,544 crore for Covid-19 management this financial year as a preventive measure against future waves of the pandemic, a statement from the government has said.

In April, Delhi witnessed it’s worst Covid-19 wave with daily cases peaking at a seven-day average of around 25,000 and positivity rate exceeding 36%. (Reuters)

The allocated amount will be invested on multiple aspects of Covid-19 management, which involves tests, laboratories, isolation facilities, hospital beds, intensive care units, ventilators, medicines, and patient care services, said the government.

The government has named the allocation the “emergency Covid response package”. The approval was given in a cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“(The) Kejriwal government to leave no stone unturned in its battle against Covid-19. Delhi cabinet approved a budget of ₹1,544 crore to bolster health systems. Delhi’s fight against Covid-19 to get stronger; Delhi Cabinet gives nod to state’s own ‘emergency Covid response package’. This budget will be spent on further enhancing testing and labs, procuring supplies, mobilizing additional human resources, increasing health facilities in the hospitals and managing Covid care centres, among others,” said the government statement.

“As a responsible government, we are taking all measures and steps necessary to fight Covid-19,” said Kejriwal in the statement.

Delhi’s health minister Satyendar Jain said, “This move will further enhance the management of resources in Delhi and prove to be crucial in the advent of any future wave of Covid-19.”

In the 2021-22 Delhi budget, that was passed by the assembly in March, the Delhi government allocated ₹50 crore for vaccinations and ₹9,934 crore (14% of the total budget outlay of ₹69,000 crore) to the health sector, for setting up new hospitals, adding beds and scaling up infrastructure.

However, there was no specific allocation under a separate Covid-19 head other than vaccinations. The government had then said Covid-19 allocations were likely to be assessed around the middle of the fiscal and appropriate decisions taken.

In April, Delhi witnessed it’s worst Covid-19 wave with daily cases peaking at a seven-day average of around 25,000 and positivity rate exceeding 36%. It had left the health-care infrastructure overwhelmed -- causing shortage of hospital beds, medical oxygen, life saving drugs and ambulances -- and led to the death of thousands of infected persons.

On Friday, Delhi recorded 32 new cases against seven recoveries. There were no deaths from the disease.