The COVID-19 pandemic is the worst so far that the country and the world has seen in the 21st century and it is likely to persist till the entire world’s population is vaccinated or naturally infected, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Prof. Randeep Guleria has said.
He was delivering the endowment lecture at the 41st Foundation Day Programme of GITAM Deemed to be University, here on Saturday.
He observed that increasing urbanisation, loss of animal habitats, particularly cohabitation with humans, were the key factors for the rise of such pandemics in the 21st century.
He mentioned that India had the third highest number of documented COVID-19 deaths in the world and it had affected livelihood, health, governance system, social fabric and the economy.
He said COVID-19 pandemic was not over and it wouldn’t be the last pandemic.
“We must prepare to face the future pandemics and it is time to invest in pandemic prevention and preparedness,” he said.
Vaccine hesitancy
Prof. Guleria said that social distancing, wearing of masks and vaccination were still the most effective public health measures to halt the spread of any pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy was a major obstacle for achieving vaccination coverage that was broad enough to result in herd immunity. There were over 60 candidate vaccines at various stages of human trials, and over 180 in preclinical trials.
On the role of AIIMS during the pandemic, he said that 100 out of 178 proposals received on COVID-related intramural research were funded by the AIIMS research committee.
GITAM president M. Sribharat said that GITAM Hospital treated 4,000 patients during COVID-19 pandemic. He presented the GITAM 41st Foundation Award to Prof. Randeep Guleria with a memento and ₹10 lakh cash prize.
Appreciation certificates and cash prizes were given away to COVID-19 warriors.
GITAM Deemed to be University vice-chancellor Prof. K. Sivaramakrishna, GITAM vice-president Prof. M. Gangadhara Rao, secretary M. Bharadwaj, GIMSR pro vice-chancellor Prof. C.V. Rao and others were present.
