Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the government will increase investment in public health, focusing on grass-root level institutions like infectious disease centres in every district and diagnostic labs in every block.

"Public expenditure on health will be increased. Investments in grass-root health institutions will be raised. Health and Wellness Centres in rural and urban areas will be ramped up," she said.

The government also announced steps to prepare the country for any future pandemic.

All districts will have infectious diseases hospital blocks. Lab and surveillance networks will be strengthened," Ms Sitharaman announced.

The government will also encourage more medical research and implement a National Digital Health Blueprint.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the fifth and final tranche of her unveiling of the Centre's Rs 20 lakh crore "Atma-Nirbhar Bharat" package, announced a big boost in the spending on the MNREGA scheme.

Rs 40,000 crore will be spend additionally on the welfare scheme, the minister said, underscoring that the other sectors which will get government support in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak will include health and education.

The final tranche of the announcement of the government's fiscal stimulus comes as the country is about to enter the phase 4 of lockdown and the coronavirus cases cross 90,000.