COVID-19: Rajasthan Government spent ₹2,440 on quarantine center patients

In Rajasthan, The disaster management department to district administration passed an order that the state government will spend ₹2,440 on each person in the state-run COVID-19 quarantine centers.

From March 23rd till Wednesday there were 23,437 people in government quarantine centers across the state. While the pink city Jaipur has 54 centers out of which 14 centers are running with 1,643 number of Patients. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 patients reported in the Rajasthan with 1,935 whereas Jaipur alone registered with 737 Coronavirus cases.

Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the state executive committee (SEC) headed by the state’s chief secretary but on March 15, the state government delegated the powers to the additional chief secretary (ACS), medical and health department in this committee. Under these powers, the ACS appointed as the nodal authority for demonstrating the number of quarantine centers and the duration of Patients stay in them.

This order was issued earlier but became public on Thursday. The maximum expense per person per day would be 2,440.

According to the order, the amount 2,440 is divided into several expenses i.e Rs 600 is to be spent on food and drinks which includes Rs 100 on breakfast, Rs 180 each on lunch and dinner, Rs 80 for water and Rs 60 on tea and snacks. Whereas the linen and laundry are of Rs 60.

Rohit Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, medical and health department, said some part of the amount is for the quarantine centers themselves while the expenditure also includes food for staff deputed at the quarantine centers of Rs 500 and Rs 600 for personal protective equipment (PPE) kit for health care workers.

The expense on security guards, PPE for health workers, and food for staff workers could not be counted as expenses. Rs 2,440 was the upper limit money spend on quarantine center patients.