Government Is Committed To Ensuring Adequate Availability Of COVID Vaccines, Increase RT-PCR Testing: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (April 14) virtually interacted with Governors and Lieutenant Governors of all states and union territories regarding the COVID-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination drive in the country. According to PMO, PM Modi said that the values and sense of duty of people are the biggest strengths in the battle against COVID-19, along with the vaccines. He also praised the citizens who participated in this battle last year, considering it their duty, he said that the same feeling of “Janbhagidari” (public participation) needs to be encouraged now as well.

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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also attended the interaction. The Prime Minister also mentioned that the role of the Governors, through appropriate utilisation of their social capacity, thus becomes all the more critical to achieving victory over COVID-19.

Governors are an important link to ensure better coordination between state governments and society, he said, adding that the combined power of all community organisations, political parties, NGOs and social institutions needs to be harnessed.

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He also suggested that the Governors can actively engage to ensure that social institutions collaborate seamlessly with the state governments towards micro containment. He said that their social network can help ensure an increase in the capacity of ambulances, ventilators and oxygen in hospitals. Along with spreading the message about vaccination and treatment, the Governors can also spread awareness about AYUSH related remedies, according to the PMO release.

PM Modi noted that the Indian youth, the workforce, is an important part of the economy, therefore, it is important to ensure that the youth follows all COVID-19 related protocols and precautions. He said that the Governors’ role is also critical in ensuring the greater engagement of our students in university campuses towards this “janbhagidari”.

We also need to focus on better utilisation of facilities at university and college campuses, he added.

Discussing the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, he said that in this stage of the fight against the virus, the country stands to gain from last year’s experience and improved healthcare capacity. He discussed the increased RT-PCR testing capacity and noted that the country has become ‘Aatmanirbhar’ with respect to kits and other material related to testing. He also emphasised the significance of increasing tracking, tracing and testing, and said that RT-PCR testing needs to be increased from 60 to 70 per cent, while urging that more and more people should get tested.

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He also underlined that the government is committed to ensuring adequate availability of vaccines, highlighting that India has become the fastest nation to reach the landmark of 10 crore vaccinations. Noting the positive impact of Tika Utsav in the last four days, he said that in this period, the vaccination drive was expanded and new vaccination centres also came up.

According to the official statement, Vice President Naidu also appreciated PM Modi for leading the fight against COVID-19 and his proactive steps to develop the infrastructure required to tackle the pandemic, highlighted the contributions of the scientific community, healthcare workers, sanitation workers, and other frontline workers in giving a vaccine to India and the whole world. Mr Naidu called upon the Governors to bring up a coordinated front by leading all-party meetings in their respective states and engaging with civil society organisations to spread awareness about COVID-appropriate behaviour.

Also Read: Equitable Access To COVID-19 Vaccine Critically Important To Fight Pandemic, India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ Trying To Ensure Access To All: External Affairs Minister

Meanwhile, Mr Shah stressed the importance of saving each and every life, while the Governors shared details of how their respective states are tackling the spread of the virus and coordinating activities towards ensuring a smooth implementation of the vaccination drive.

As per the PMO statement, they gave suggestions for further improvement in the efforts and shared plans of how “janbhagidari” can be increased through the active social engagement of various groups. India has been witnessing a massive surge in COVID-19 cases and reported a record number of over 1.84 lakh infections on Tuesday.

Also Read: Public Health And Social Measures Remain The Key To Stop Coronavirus Transmission: WHO South-East Asia Region

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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.