Question : Long Term plan to Tackle Epidemics

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE 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?

(a) & (b): Yes. With the intent to build long term capacities to prepare against and respond to 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 of primary, secondary, and tertiary care Health Systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions, to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. This will be in addition to the National Health Mission. The main interventions 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 health units in 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 branches 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 Public Health Units at Points of Entry, that is at 32 Airports, 11 Seaports and 7 land crossings;
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 for WHO South East Asia Region, 9 Bio-Safety Level III laboratories and 4 regional National Institutes for Virology.

(c) & (d): Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, tasked with public health surveillance for epidemic prone diseases, A Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) at Delhi, State Surveillance Units (SSU) at all State/UT head quarters and District Surveillance Units (DSU) at all Districts in the country have been established. Under the said programme trained multi-disciplinary rapid response teams have been identified as State and district levels that are mandated to respond to rising trend of illnesses in any area, to diagnose 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 further amend and improve the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.