Agartala, July 15: As part of his Delhi visit, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday met the new Union Minister for Health- Mansukh Mandaviya to discuss various including proposed AIIMS in Tripura and allocation of additional fund under Emergency Covid Response Plan.

According to a government press release, Deb requested the Union Health Minister to send a team to Tripura for inspecting and finalizing the land for the proposed AIIMS.

The Chief Minister also discussed the latest vaccination status and the measures taken by the Tripura government to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Deb also spoke on allocation Covid vaccine doses, setting up of the proposed 100-bedded Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) at the AGMC and GBP Hospital, State Cancer Institute Project at Atal Bihari VajpayeeRegional Cancer Hospital and additional funding under Emergency Covid Response Plan (ECRP).

Deb apprised the Health Minister that funding under ECRP was very instrumental in handling the COVID situation in the state like Tripura. The fund was utilized for a variety of activities like testing, transport, containment, engagement of manpower and vaccination.

The press release said, "So far, the State has received Rs. 24 Cr in FY 20-21 out of which 50% fund has been utilized and around 40% of the received fund is in the process of payment to concerned parties."

Deb also requested the Ministry of Health to consider providing an additional funding support to the tune of Rs. 9.20 crore under NHM for the FY: 2021-22 as a special case in order to continue the implementation of National Ambulance Service scheme in a seamless manner.