Anand: India’s culture of service is helping it gain prominence in the new world order created in the post-COVID era, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday (August 2), citing the supply of medicines and vaccines by the Centre during the pandemic. “When international airlines were shut (during COVID outbreak), six to seven planes landed in India daily only to procure medicines. We did not just provide medicines but also made the whole world aware of our culture,” Dr Mandaviya said after inaugurating the Amrita Patel Centre of Public Health at Bhaikaka University at Karamsad in Anand district.
आज आनंद, गुजरात के भाईकाका विश्वविद्यालय में 'अमृता पटेल सेंटर ऑफ़ पब्लिक हेल्थ' का उद्घाटन किया। यह सेंटर विद्यार्थियों को पब्लिक हेल्थ के विषय में स्टडी करने में उपयोगी साबित होगा।
पब्लिक हेल्थ के प्रति इस पहल को करने हेतु मैं विश्वविद्यालय के प्रबंधकों को भी बधाई देता हूँ। pic.twitter.com/hXVCWhLn5Y
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 2, 2023
Had India desired, the union minister said, it could have then sold medicines to other countries at a much higher price. But India continued to supply medicines at pre-pandemic price levels, he said. He added,
When the world was stockpiling vaccines three to four times their requirement, India made vaccines to meet the domestic need and also supply to more than 100 countries at a lower rate under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ scheme. This is why in the post-COVID era, a new world order has emerged. …75 years (after the new world order was created by World War II), our culture of service is helping India gain recognition and prominence in the new world order.
Union Health Minister Dr Mandaviya also quoted American business magnate Bill Gates telling him during a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum: “Congratulate India, you have done good COVID management and vaccination drive.” He added,
The world is praising India. The country is changing and progressing and a new India is being created under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Previous governments took decisions with the aim of getting reelected, but the Modi government takes decisions with a holistic approach.
He said that the government is not only thinking about establishing up new hospitals but also increasing MBBS seats by setting up more undergraduate and postgraduate medical colleges. He mentioned,
The government has set up 1.7 lakh health and wellness centres with yoga activities, 13 types of tests, preventive care, vaccination drive and specialist doctors providing advice to persons sitting in remote areas through telemedicine.
The government has invested Rs 64,000 crore in four years under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, he said.
Also Read: Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya Reviews Health Services In Bengal
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diarrhoea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
