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HEALTH-INFRASTRUCTURE
Number of oxygen supported beds, ICU beds increased in country: Choubey
New Delhi, Feb 02, 2021 (BSS/PTI) – The number of oxygen supported beds in
the country has increased from 62,458 in April, 2020 to 1,57,344 as on
January 28 this year, while the number of ICU beds has risen from 27,360 to
36,008 during the same period, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey
said.
There were 13,158 ventilators as on April 21, 2020 which have increased to
23,619 as on January 28, 2021, Choubey said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha
on Tuesday on the status of public health infrastructure.
He was responding to question on the extent of improvement in health
infrastructure in the country in terms of availability of ventilators, oxygen
and ICU beds post COVID-19. Choubey said India’s COVID-19 Emergency Response
and Health System Preparedness Package was approved by the Cabinet on 22nd
April, 2020 with an objective to prevent detect and respond to the threat
posed by COVID-19.
Under the package, the states have been provided support for the
improvement only in public health infrastructure.
Details of private sector health infrastructure are not maintained
centrally. Public health and hospitals being a state subject, the primary
responsibility of strengthening healthcare systems including hospitals lies
with respective state governments.
“However, central government supplements the efforts of states for
improvement of public health care systems. Under the National Health Mission,
states/UTs in their programme implementation plans have been given
flexibility to propose for filling of gaps (including infrastructure)
including that for Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
This is then appraised by the National Programme Co-ordination Committee
(NPCC) and as per its recommendations, approved by the Ministry of Health.
States and UTs are being provided required technical and financial
assistance for strengthening of their healthcare systems including hospitals.
BSS/PTI/IJ/1742 hrs