Rs 267.35 crore Covid package for Kerala, says Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said Rs 267.35 crore had been allocated under the Emergency Covid Response Package for strengthening the state’s health infrastructure and effectively managing the Covid-19 situation. He was on a day-long visit to the state with a team to review the pandemic situation.
In a meeting he had with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, health minister Veena George and top state officials, Mandaviya said an additional Rs 1 crore would be made available for each district in the state for creating a medicine pool. He also assured all possible help from the Centre to the state.
The delegation had an elaborate meeting with the chief minister and the state government officials. The state presented a detailed report on the Covid-19 situation and also the steps it had taken right from the beginning of the pandemic.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanded 1.11 crore vaccines at the earliest to cover the entire population of the state with at least one dose. Mandaviya readily agreed to the demand and said the Centre would give top priority for Kerala in sending vaccines. He had led a team of top officials from the Union health and family welfare ministry -- including Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and National Centre for Disease Control director Dr S K Singh -- to the state.
‘Kerala doing remarkably well’
Had an intensive meeting with the Chief Minister and Health Minister of Kerala, @VijayanPinarayiji & Veena Georgeji, along with State officials to review #COVID19 situation in Kerala," he tweeted soon after the meeting.
Mandaviya said Kerala had been doing remarkably well in vaccination and its fight against the pandemic. Terming the healthcare system here as "excellent”, he lauded the lack of vaccine wastage by the state and said it had set an example in administration of doses.
"The purpose of the visit now is to find out how the state is managing the fight... The central government will ensure the creation of a centre of excellence that caters to telemedicine facilities in every district of Kerala. For prioritising health of children, paediatric ICU will be established in all district hospitals with 10 kilo-litre liquid oxygen storage tank facility,’’ he said.
Mandaviya also appealed to Keralites to maintain caution against Covid during Onam festivities.
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan also said Kerala was ahead of the national average in vaccination and the death rate here is low.