Trashing politics over Coronavirus vaccines and trying to allay fears, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the call on launching them was taken by scientists.
In an interaction via video conferencing with health workers in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, Mr. Modi referred indirectly to criticism over the emergency-use clearance given to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
Mr. Modi said currently the world’s largest vaccination program is going on in our country.
‘India is self-reliant’
The Hindu In Focus Podcast: Explaining India's Vaccine Diplomacy, in the neighbourhood and beyond
“India is completely self-reliant when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine and is also helping many countries. Today the effort is to ensure that vaccines reach every corner of the country at a rapid pace,” said the PM adding that the purpose of the interaction is to enquire about the arrangements and issue, if any, about the vaccination drive.
Stating that the feedback from Varanasi will help in understanding the situation elsewhere also, the PM expressed the country’s gratitude to the scientist, healthcare and frontline workers and complemented Corona warriors for their contribution towards creating awareness about the pandemic and vaccination.
“The country was better prepared to face the pandemic due to steps taken in Swachata Abhiyan that had created a culture of cleanliness,” said the PM adding that the change in medical infrastructure in Varanasi and surrounding areas in the last six years has helped the entire Purvanchal in the Corona times.
He also noted that now in Varanasi the pace of vaccination has accelerated and more than 20 thousand health professionals will be vaccinated here. “For this, 15 vaccination centers have been set up,” said Mr. Modi. He also complimented the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and his colleagues for the arrangements.
