Lok Sabha Question No. 2985 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-12
Subject: Long Term plan to Tackle Epidemics
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Pushpendra Singh Chandel, Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2985 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH MARCH, 2021

## LONG TERM PLAN TO TA CKLE EPIDEMICS

## 2985. SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPEND RA SINGH CHANDEL: SHRIMATI MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WE LFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  launch  any long  term  plan  to  tackle  epidemics  by enabling their detection at its preliminary stage and taking early preventive steps;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to put in place special medical squads to tackle epidemics on the lines of special squads for tackling natural calamities;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to further amend and improve the Epidemic Diseases Act and if so, the details therof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b): Yes. With the intent to build long term capacities to prepare against and resp future  public  health  threats, PM  Atma  Nirbhar  Swasth  Bharat  Yojana ,  has  been  proposed with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crores over 6 years. This will develop capacities o f primary, secondary, and tertiary care Health Systems, strengthen existing national institutions, new institutions, to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. This wi addition to the National Health Mission. The main i nterventions under the scheme are:
- a. Support for 17,788 rural and 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centers
- b. Setting up integrated public health labs in all districts and 3382 block public healt 11 states;
- c. Establishing critical care hospital blocks in 602 districts and 12 central institutions;
- d. Strengthening of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), its 5 regional bran and 20 metropolitan health surveillance units;
- e. Expansion  of  the  Integrated  Health  Information  Portal  to  all  States/UTs  to connect  all public health labs;
- f. Operationalization of 17 new Public Health Units and strengthening of 33 existing P Health Units at Points of Entry, that is at 32 Airports, 11 Seaports and 7 land cross
- g. Setting up of 15 Health Emergency Operation Centers and 2 mobile hospitals; and
- h. Setting up of a national institution for One Health, a Regional Research Platform fo South  East  Asia  Region,  9  Bio - Safety  Level  III  laboratories  and  4  regional  National Institutes for Virology.

(c)  &  (d):  Under  th e  Integrated  Disease  Surveillance  Programme,  tasked  with  public  healt surveillance  for  epidemic  prone  diseases,  A  Central  Surveillance  Unit  (CSU)  at  Delhi, Surveillance Units (SSU) at all State/UT head quarters and District Surveillance Units ( at all  Districts  in  the  country  have  been  established.  Under  the  said  programme  trained -disciplinary  rapid  response  teams  have  been  identified  as  State  and  district  levels mandated  to  respond  to  rising  trend  of  illnesses  in  any  area,  to  diag nose  and  institutionalize requisite public health measures to control the outbreak.

(e): At present there is no proposal under consideration of Ministry of Health & FW to amend and improve the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.