The state is authorized to make grants, as funds are available, to hospital authorities for public health purposes, provided that any funds so granted shall be distributed to and among the various public hospital authorities in the state in proportion to the number of hospital beds operated by each such hospital authority at the end of the calendar year preceding the grant. Funds shall be distributed to public hospitals operated by consolidated governments in the same manner as to authority hospitals prescribed in this Code section. Grants made by the state pursuant to this Code section shall be administered by the Department of Human Resources in accordance with such rules, regulations, and procedures as it shall deem necessary for effective administration of such grants.