Bengaluru: In furtherance to the proposal by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SAARC videoconferencing on ways to handle coronavirus, to create a fund for the same, Nepal and Bhutan on Friday pledged $1 million and $1,00,000 for the fund respectively. 

India has already pledged an amount of 10 million dollars for the same. The amounts pledged by Nepal and Bhutan come as an addition. 

Meanwhile, as reported by a popular website, alongside Nepal pledging $1 million for the fund to fight the pandemic, its Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and his Indian counterpart, Union Minister for

External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar held a conversation in which India responded positively to Nepal's request for assistance.

More on funds for dealing with coronavirus pandemic: 

Modi had said during the videoconference, “India can start with an initial offer of $10 million for coronavirus emergency fund. Our embassies can coordinate for the utilisation of this fund. India can also arrange training capsules for your health workers' training.”

The PM also outlined India’s preparedness to deal with the situation and offered the help of Indian specialists for the SAARC nations.

He had 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.”

The PM also spoke on the importance of setting up integrated disease surveillance portal to trace virus carriers.

In this regard, he had said, “We have 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.”

Originating in Wuhan, China, Coronavirus eventually graduated into a pandemic, affecting lakhs of people all over the world. 

PM Modi has urged the countrymen not to travel unnecessarily and not to panic but to stay alert and be aware.