House Bill 1782 provides $121 million dollars from the Mississippi CARES Act relief fund to a list of healthcare facilities and educational institutions. The measure includes $80 million for hospitals, monies for the department of mental health and the state's eight colleges and universities. The measure also provides $2 million to reopen North Oaks Hospital in Tate County. House Republican Sam Mims of McComb.
"That is a region near Oxford and the University of Mississippi which is having a Covid breakout as we speak. So this is something where we need that hospital open so that they can take care of our Covid 19 patients," said Mims.
The bill allocates $6.4 million for a Magnet Disparity Health Program--to focus on health disparities among minorities and the poor. House Democrat Omeria Scott of Laurel says the bill includes studies that aren't needed. She argued lawmakers should direct some money to contact tracing and housing for isolation and to quarantine people. Scott referred to cases in Holmes County.
"To help those people who need to be quarantined away from their family members because they're intergenerational. They're working and they're being exposed to Covid so they're sleeping in their cares because they don't want to go in the house. No money for that," said Scott.
Mims says the health department received a federal grant for testing and contact tracing. The bill passed. Mims says it's a starting point and the measure could change.
