“Wear Mask, Wash Hands…”: On Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi Urges People To Be Vigilant Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases

New Delhi: On Sunday, December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation through his monthly radio programme and the last edition of “Mann Ki Baat” for 2022. Looking back at the year, Prime Minister Modi stated that the country-wide cleanliness campaign, ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ had been a success since its inception in 2014. PM Modi said that every Indian was devoted to the mission.

Swachh Bharat Mission’ has become firmly rooted in the mind of every Indian today. Many unique efforts have been made by the people to take this mass movement to new heights since its inception in 2014.

He said the efforts have been made at the community level as well as at the government level, which has resulted in the removal of garbage, unnecessary items, further opening a wide space in the offices.

Earlier, due to a lack of space, offices had to be maintained on rent at faraway places. These days, due to this cleanliness, so much space is available that, now, all the offices are converging in one place. In the past, even the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also made a lot of effort in its offices in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Shillong in many cities and because of that, today they have two, three floors, available completely in usage anew. Due to this cleanliness in itself, we are getting the best experience of optimum utilisation of our resources, he added.

Also Read: UP Man Who Returned From China Tests Positive, Quarantined At Home

While extending greetings on Christmas Day, PM Modi urged people to be cautious while celebrating festivals, given that there has been a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The prime minister advised people to follow the social distancing norms and adhere to the precautions that have been mentioned earlier, such as wearing a mask and washing hands.

Enjoy these festivals a lot, but be a little cautious too. You can also see that Corona is becoming more prevalent in many countries around the world, so we must take additional precautions such as masks and hand washing. If we are careful, then we will also be safe, and there will be no hindrance to our enjoyment. With this, once again, many best wishes to all of you.

Also Read: WHO Chief Raises Concern Over China’s Rising COVID-19 Cases, Requests Data On The Virus

Discussing the challenges, the health sector of India has faced and combated in the last few years, PM Modi lauded the efforts of frontline workers, medical experts, scientists, and citizens.

Detailing how India was able to eradicate diseases like Smallpox, Polio and ‘Guinea Worm’ from the country, PM Modi spoke about another challenge that remains at the forefront of the health sector: ‘Kala Azar’ , a disease caused by infection with leishmania parasites.

Also known as ‘Black Fever’, Kala Azar spreads through sandfly bites and affects the internal organs, such as the liver and bone marrow.

Among all the states, the disease has been prevalent in four districts in Bihar and Jharkhand, he said. PM Modi stated that the disease could be eradicated with the combined efforts of state governments and citizens.

Also Read: States, Centre Need To Work In Collaborative Spirit To Prevent COVID Surge: Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

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 – the LGBTQ 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 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 will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, 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 like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that 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 diarrhoea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.