Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation on the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country. This comes on the heels of several states across the country including Maharashtra and Delhi beginning the process of ‘unlocking’ by gradually easing coronavirus-induced restrictions and curfews. His address comes on a day India reported 1,00,636 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 61 days.
“This is the biggest pandemic in the last hundred years. The modern world had neither seen nor experienced such a pandemic. Our country has fought together on many fronts during such a big global pandemic—from making ventilators to preparing a network of laboratories—to creating a new medical infrastructure during the pandemic which has been the worst in the last century. The country fought on a war-footing,” PM said in his address.
India launched not one but two Made-in-India vaccines within a year as it bypassed every apprehension. The government, he said, supported the companies making the Covid-19 vaccine in every possible way. “Our country and scientists have shown that India is not behind big countries. Today when I am talking to you, more than 23 crore vaccine doses have been given in the country,” he added.
“If you look at the history of the last 50-60 years, you will know that it used to take decades for India to get the vaccine from abroad. Vaccine work used to be completed abroad, even then the work of vaccination could not start in our country,” PM Modi said.
“Compared to the demand for vaccines all over the world today, the countries producing it and the companies making the vaccine are very few. Imagine that if we did not have a vaccine made in India right now, what would have happened in a huge country like India today?” he asked.