Revival of the economy requires a certain kind of support from healthcare sector: Nirmala Sitharaman on tackling COVID

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday (August 31) said that in order to revive the economy of the country, the government is taking every step to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination in India, while urging the healthcare sector to enhance its capability to contain the possibility of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Government is constantly discussing and engaging with the stakeholders to ensure that the revival of the economy is going to be adequately supported. Revival of the economy requires a certain kind of support from the healthcare sector. Healthcare sector requires to ramp up their capacities," Sitharaman said as she addressed an event called 'Resurgent India: Building Healthcare Infrastructure For New India' organised by Invest India.

"We do not want the third wave and we are taking every step that is required to ramp up vaccination against COVID-19," the Union Finance Minister said. She said that the Department of Financial Services has done very well by providing loan guarantee schemes for COVID affected sectors. "Hospitals can be bringing in more equipments, more beds and more pharmaceutical support. We still need more trained doctors, nurses, more testing facilities and we still need paramedics who can do the testing for you in all its proper protocol."

"This loan guarantee scheme takes care of nearly 70 % of the requirement to prepare for the possible third wave, we want to prevent it. All of us will have to do it out of us. Prime Minister Narendra Modi often says Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas Sabka Saath and Sabka prayers," she said. The Finance Minister added, "We want the banking sector to come and stand by, give hospitals the adequate facility with the government standing guarantee. So this is the requirement of the time."