Centre assures funds to M’laya for tackling COVID

NEW DELHI: As Meghalaya is facing a financial crunch in the prolonged fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre has assured of releasing additional funds under National Health Mission (NHM).
Moreover, funds will also be allotted for a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre in the state, which has been conceptualised by the state government.
These were decided during a meeting between Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and Meghalaya Health Minister AL Hek here on Thursday.
The duo also discussed measures to improve the overall health infrastructure in the state with the experience gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state Health minister reiterated Meghalaya’s demand for more central funds, pointing that the state has been taking a systematic and methodical approach in handling the pandemic. The state has spent about Rs 400 crore to fight COVID-19 in the past six months, he added.
Demanding additional funds under the NHM during this crisis period, Hek said the remaining amount of NHM funds for 2020 and 2021 should be released considering the severe financial crunch the state is going through due to the pandemic.
Dr Vardhan assured that the Centre will look into the demands of Meghalaya.
Praising the state for its handling of the pandemic, the Union minister maintained that due to effective steps taken by the state government, the spread of the virus has been controlled in the hill state.
Going by statistics, the rate of affected persons in Meghalaya in COVID-19 is lower and the recovery rate is much higher than the national average, he said.
Dr Vardhan also assured of providing central funds for a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre at the Pasteur Institute at Lawmali in Shillong, which the State government has been planning to construct at a cost of about Rs 20 crore.
During the hour-long meeting, Hek informed that the state government has earmarked nearly Rs 100 crore for upgrading infrastructure in various health centres, including the Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Public Health Centres (PHCs). These centres act as the basic healthcare centres for the people in the state, he added.