State Government has given nod to release of Rs 62.90 crore for Nagpur and Chandrapur districts for tackling COVID-19 through various measures. This amount includes Rs 56.12 crore for Nagpur district and Rs 6.78 crore for Chandrapur district. However, while giving nod to release of funds, certain conditions have been imposed and some directions have been issued. Revenue and Forest Department of State Government has issued the order regarding release of the funds on Monday.

 

 

 

The funds to be released are part of larger amount due to these two districts. State has constituted inter-division scrutiny committee to examine the proposals received for funds from State Disaster Response Fund to take up measures for containing the spread of COVID-19. State Executive Committee held a meeting on February 16 to take decisions regarding the proposals received. Accordingly, Rs 75,44,69,000/- was sanctioned for Nagpur and Chandrapur districts. As per the original sanction, Rs 65,94,58,538 was approved for Nagpur district and Rs 9,50,11,000 for Chandrapur district. However, only Rs 7,55,78,932 was made available for both the districts from savings of other districts in the State. On March 30, an amount of Rs 4,98,21,000 was made available through reappropriation. Meanwhile, the situation in Nagpur district continued to deteriorate with active caseload registering steady increase. As the facilities proved to be inadequate, the High Court took cognizance of the situation and issued several directions to the administration.

 

Given the situation, on Monday, the department has accorded nod to release of remaining Rs 62,90,69,000. Of this amount, Rs 56,12,58,000 is to be distributed to Nagpur district and Rs 6,78,11,000/- to Chandrapur district. The said amount will be released to Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur. Certain conditions have been imposed for utilization of the money. The heads on which the money can be spent include measures for quarantine sample collection and screening, procurement of essential equipment for laboratories for response to COVID-19. The measures for quarantine sample collection and screening include provision for temporary accommodation, food, clothing, medical care etc for people affected and sheltered in quarantine camps (other than home quarantine) or for cluster containment operations, cost of consumables for sample collection, and support for checking, screening and contact tracing.

 

The head of procurement of equipment for labs include cost of setting up additional testing laboratories within the Government and the cost of consumables and testing kits; cost of personal protection equipment for healthcare, municipal, police, and fire authorities; cost of thermal scanners, ventilators, air purifiers, oxygen generation and storage plant in hospitals, strengthening ambulance services for transport of patients, setting up containment zones, COVID-19 hospital, COVID care centres, and consumables in Government hospitals. Among the conditions, Collector has been asked to ensure that the funds are not utilized for the purposes for which funds from other schemes is proposed. As far as RTPCR test kits are concerned, those are supplied by Medical Education and Drugs Department. Even if the kits are to be procured at market rates, the administration has to ensure that the rates are minimum, considering the rates fixed by Haffkine Biopharma Limited. Also, the administration has been asked not to make procurement in large quantities, as the rates of various items including medicines and lab kits are coming down as the availability in market is increasing.

Directions regarding procurement of medicines Regarding the medicine Tocilizumab, Revenue and Forest Department has stated that all the districts have sought the said medicine but the manufacturers have mentioned that the drug is ‘not effective’ and hence medicine procurement should be done in accordance with State-level committee of experts. The procurement of antigen, Remdesivir, Favipravir, N95 masks should be in ‘less quantity and for short duration’, states the department’s communiqué. The duration of procurement of these items should be 15-20 days. 

 

Other directions While creating temporary facility, number of patients and daily caseload should be kept in mind. As far as possible, such preparations should be made in available Government institute/building, and after considering 80 per cent beds and rooms in existing hospitals. New COVID care centres should be set up only after existing centres are 75 per cent full. Liquid oxygen tanks shall depend upon projected cases and availability of oxygenated beds, and dura/jumbo cylinders should be used.