Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will today meet with state health ministers in relation with ramping up the vaccination drive. The pandemic emergency response package, and the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission will also be on the agenda in the meeting that will take place in New Delhi.
According to Press Information Bureau (PIB), the meeting will start at 3 pm in Vigyan Bhawan.
A central government official anonymously told, "It will be an elaborate interaction with the states to know what they are doing for pandemic management, what is lacking, and how the central government can help in achieving their targets. The health ministry has been conducting such discussions from time to time. It will be along similar lines, as the Covid-19 pandemic is not over yet".
The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission and its implementation is expected to be discussed in length in the meeting.
Mansukh Mandaviya in his media briefing on Tuesday said, "This ambitious initiative was drafted in consultation with the states and will be implemented in collaboration with the states and the union territories. We will work together, with the Centre providing all necessary support to make this happen in the next five years".
A national institute for "One Health", a regional research platform for World Health Organization's (WHO) southeast Asia region, four new National Institutes of Virology, five new regional national centers for disease control and nine bio-safety Level III labs will be set up under the scheme.
IT enabled disease surveillance system will also be built under the project by developing a network of surveillance labs at the block, district, regional and national level.
To enable states and union territories to connect with all public health labs, an integrated health information portal will also be expanded.
