Health Ministry directs top medical institutes to utilise funds made available under ECRP-II, amid surge in COVID-19 cases

New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): With over 90,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the country, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to the director of AIIMS, Delhi PGIMER, Chandigarh, JIPMER, Puducherry and other AIIMS institutes asking them to utilise funds made available to the institutes under ECRP-II.
The ministry also said that the grants in aid are to be used to maintain the supply of testing reagents and kits to avoid shortages in case of a "sudden increase in the number of cases".
"In wake of rising cases of COVID, it is expected that Institutes would have started the requisite exercise of repurposing the hospital beds for managing COVID cases to ensure maximum preparedness against any potential surge in cases," read the letter dated January 6.
The letter further stated that the institutes must make their own arrangements for a "secure source of supply" to meet the requirements in case of a surge in the number of cases.
"It is also imperative that logistical supplies like testing reagents and kits (both for RTPCR and Rapid Antigen Testing) are procured and maintained In ample supply to avoid any stock shortages, in case of a sudden increase in the number of cases. Accordingly, all the Institutes must make their own arrangements for a secure source of supply to meet its requirements in a timely manner," read the letter.
"Funds made available to Institutes under ECRP-II and Grants-In-Aid (General) may be used for meeting expenditure on the above. Further requirement of funds under ECRP, if any, may be intimated to the Ministry, along with Utilisation Certificate for funds already released," the letter further added.
India has reported 2,630 cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 so far, said the Health Ministry on Thursday. (ANI)