Prime Minister Narendra Modi Speaks To COVID-19 Frontline Warriors On ‘Mann Ki Baat’

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Sunday (April 25) spoke to healthcare workers at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 and addressed several topics such as vaccine hesitancy and details about the ongoing deadly second wave. The Prime Minister first called on Dr Shashank Joshi from Mumbai, who has grassroots-level experience in the field of COVID treatment and allied research. He has also been the Dean of the Indian College of Physicians. When asked about the ongoing second wave, Dr. Joshi informed that this time around, the virus is faster moving than the first wave but assured that the recovery rate is higher and the mortality rate is low. “To an extent, it (COVID) has been observed in youth and children too. There is absolutely no need of being scared. 80 to 90 percent people do not show any of these symptoms,” he said, adding that there is no need to be afraid of the new mutant and the country would overcome this wave too. He further urged people to stay positive and followed treatment protocol is as per the Doctor’s advice.

Also Read: How To Treat Covid-19 Patients At Home, Here Is What Doctors Recommend

The second guest on the Prime Minister’s programme was Dr Naveed Nazeer Shah, a professor at the Government Medical College, who encouraged all those eligible to get the vaccine and combatting misinformation.

Our country presently has two vaccines available Covaccine and Covishield… In Jammu Kashmir, till now, 15 to 16 lakh people have taken the vaccine… till now, in our place, no side effects have been found in vaccines that have been administered. Only things that are routinely associated with every vaccine have been seen, he said.

On reports of people testing positive even after getting vaccinated, he said that if someone is vaccinated, they may get infected but the severity of the disease will not be severe. P

PM Modi also spoke to a nurse with experience in taking care of COVID patients- Bhavana Dhruv from the B R Ambedkar Medical College in Raipur. Dhruv shared her experience while taking care of patients and their families, and the support extended to them during difficult times.

Another nurse – Surekha, Senior Nursing Officer in Bengaluru’s KC General Hospital also spoke with the Prime Minister. She urged people to get tested early, properly track themselves to reduce the mortality rate and get vaccinated when eligible.

Don’t panic and don’t be stressed out. It worsens the condition of the patient. No vaccine provides 100 per cent protection immediately. It takes time to build immunity. Please vaccinate yourself. Please have sympathy towards frontline workers and professionals. We need your support and co-operation, she said.

Also Read: COVID-19: Testing Negative But Still Have Symptoms? Here’s What You Need To Know

The Prime Minister also spoke to an ambulance driver – Prem Verma, lauding the efforts of other frontline workers such as lab technicians. Mr. Verma has been working with COVID patients and shared his experience of picking up and dropping patients as soon as possible.

PM Modi also appreciated hospitals for using technology for offering consultations to the patients amid the COVID-19 crisis.

In the prevailing situation, it is commendable that many doctors are using technology to offer online consultations to patients. Our health workers and doctors are currently fighting a major battle against COVID-19. In the past one year, they have had several kinds of experiences about the pandemic, he said.

He further added that in order to fight COVID-19, it is important to go by the views of experts.

There are several hospitals who are offering information about COVID-19 on their websites. These websites also offer consultancy to the people. This is commendable, he added.

He also said that the second wave of COVID-19 is testing our patience and capacity to bear the pain.

I urge people to not fall prey to any rumours about vaccination. You all must be aware that the Government of India has sent free vaccines to all State Governments. All people above 45 years of age can benefit from this. From May 1st, vaccines will be available for every person above 18 years of age, the Prime Minister said.

As per Union Health Ministry, India has recorded 3,49,691 new COVID-19 cases and 2,767 related deaths in the last 24 hours. According to the official data issued by the Union Health Ministry, the country has recorded 2,767 new deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The country’s total infection count has mounted to 1,69,60,172 cases, while 1,92,311 people have so far succumbed to the viral infection so far.

Also Read: PM Modi Interacts With Vaccine Manufacturers, Urges Them To Scale Up Production Capacity

(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.