Amitabh Bachchan Salutes The COVID Heroes And Says Vaccine Hesitancy Must End

New Delhi: “This period has been very trying for all of us and not just within our country but all over the world,” said Banega Swasth India Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan at the Saluting The COVID Heroes Townhall. Mr Bachchan further said that while the world hasn’t been able to find any kind of a positive solution to the difficulties arising due to the pandemic, but the healthcare workers who have been continuously fighting this war are ‘just unbelievable’. Mr Bachchan said,

Their spirit, dedication and selflessness. I was in the hospital, the kind of effort healthcare workers make to make you comfortable and well. They don’t go home, 24 hours they are there, in their PPE suits, attending to you. The ward boys, the nurses, the staff, just incredible atmosphere and what a spirit. Everyday, not just coming and doing their work medically but coming and encouraging you, giving you hope.

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Furthermore, Mr Bachchan also talked about the issue of COVID vaccine hesitancy. He discussed his role in the government’s Polio vaccine campaign, and what can be learnt from that campaign.

I had the privilege to be appointed through the United Nations to work on Polio immunisation in India. And that was a huge task because we faced all kinds of problems. People not wanting to believe that these drops of the Polio vaccine can help them but you know, it took us almost eight years and today, very proudly we can say that India is Polio free. But how can we clear up this misinformation and the hesitancy around the COVID vaccine? With the vaccine, the severity of COVID infection is a lot lesser and that needs to be told.

Also Read: What Have We Learnt From The Second Wave Of COVID-19 To Help Us Mitigate The Third Wave?

Lastly, Mr Bachchan said that India is going well in terms of the COVID mortality rate of the country as compared with other nations and he says that it is all because of the dedication of our frontline warriors.

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.