Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 will soon reach India. “I believe our scientists will complete the trials very soon as the government has… agreed to vaccinate the doctors and health care staff first,” he said in his virtual address to mark the foundation day ceremony of Lucknow’s King George’s Medical University (KGMU).
Singh said the Covid-19 pandemic has compelled India to fight a war that it never imagined it would. “Instead of ammunition and soldiers, we have the medical fraternity at the forefront in this war, who have worked non-stop against an enemy which cannot be seen… It is a situation which [also] prevailed some 100 years ago during the Spanish Flu pandemic.”
He said no superman can save the people from this pandemic and called the doctors the real superheroes. “A picture shared on social media showing a superhero bowing to doctors is apt for the situation and humanity will forever remain indebted to doctors, nurses and paramedics…”
Singh said KGMU should think in 2020 where it should stand in 2050. “Can’t KGMU become a world-class centre of excellence in the next 30 years?”
He referred to the scarcity of health facilities in the country and added the government’s priority is health care. “But giving health care services to 135 crore people is a big responsibility. The government spends 1.16% of the GDP on health. If the private sector was not there to spend on the health sector, the situation would have been bad.”
He said the Ayushman Bharat scheme was started for 100 million families to ensure no one remains deprived of health care. “Till now 1.5 crore individuals have been treated at a cost of Rs 17,000 crore.”
Singh said work was also going on to increase the health infrastructure. “In 2014, there were 381 medical colleges and now there are 541.”
Singh called upon doctors to join the armed forces and serve the country. “The forces need you.”
