Rs 1,032 crore spent in management of COVID: Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has so far spent Rs 1,032 crore towards the management of COVID-19 in the State.

Stating this in a written reply, Health & Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday informed the Assam Assembly that the State Government had released Rs 517 crore to the districts. The amount released to the districts has been used to upgrade the hospitals, maintenance of screening and quarantine centres, hotel accommodation and refreshments.

Sarma also said that the State has spent Rs 172 crore in conducting Rapid Antigen Tests, RTPCR tests and outsourcing of testing facility. An amount of Rs 76 crore and Rs 47 crore have been spent in purchasing life-saving drugs and essential medical equipment respectively. For transportation of the infected patients, the State has spent Rs 44 crores.

Minister Sarma further said that 2,781 safai workers engaged in the COVID Care Centres across the State have now been removed since their appointments were purely on temporary basis. He, however, said that the Health department would give priorities to these safari workers in case of vacancies in the department.

The COVID-19 pandemic has so far claimed 1,037 lives in the State.

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