SAARC video conference: Indian PM Narendra Modi proposes setting up COVID-19 Emergency Fund
New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led the video conference of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders to discuss measures to combat Coronavirus outbreak, on Sunday proposed to establish a COVID-19 Emergency Fund.
Modi announced that India will contribute 10 million US dollars to the fund.
"I propose we create a COVID-19 Emergency Fund. This could be based on voluntary contributions from all of us. India can start with an initial offer of 10 million US dollars for this fund," Modi said.
Speaking on the initiatives India will take to tackle the challenge, Modi said: "We are assembling a Rapid Response Team of doctors and specialists in India, along with testing kits and other equipment. They will be on stand-by, to be placed at your disposal, if required."
"We had set up an Integrated Disease Surveillance Portal to better trace possible virus carriers and the people they contacted. We could share this Disease Surveillance software with SAARC partners, and training on using this," he said.
The Indian PM said: "Looking ahead, we could create a common Research Platform, to coordinate research on controlling epidemic diseases within our South Asian region. The Indian Council of Medical Research can offer help coordinating such an exercise."
The Coronavirus outbreak, which is believed to have first started from Wuhan region in China, has now hit several countries across the world.
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