PM Modi asks ministers not to play blame game with opposition amid coronavirus pandemic: Mandaviya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed all cabinet ministers not to engage in the “blame game” amid the coronavirus pandemic, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday, despite Opposition parties are “addicted to politics” over vaccine production.

Replying to a question on ‘Sushasan Mahotsav 2024′, the minister said the opposition parties’ criticism and attacks on the government’s efforts to develop indigenous vaccines to vaccinate the people of the country have pained the prime minister.

“First they asked when the vaccine would arrive, and when it arrived, they questioned its efficacy and asked Prime Minister Modi why he was not taking it. Opposition parties are mired in politics over the issue of vaccine production at a time when the country is going through the COVID-19 crisis.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi then directed the ministers not to get caught up in the blame game and continue working hard to protect people from the disease,” Mandaviya said.

He said that when COVID-19 hit, the whole world doubted India’s ability to deal with the epidemic.

Prime Minister Modi held meetings with scientists to encourage them to develop indigenous vaccines and laid out a series of guidelines and protocols.

He said that India does not lack “manpower and brainpower”, and in a very short period of time, India has launched two vaccines by January 2021, which is a “major success story for Indian research.”

He said that after meeting India’s own requirements, India sent medicines such as hydroxychloride to 150 countries, including some developed countries, during the COVID-19 crisis.

It is worth mentioning that pharmaceutical companies have not increased drug prices and drug quality has not been affected. “

“For us, health is not business, it is sewa,” Mandaviya added.

Replying to a question on the Modi government’s achievements in the past 10 years compared to all its predecessors, Mandaviya said the current government has adopted a “holistic approach” in the health sector.

The health minister said that firstly, the government decided to provide affordable and accessible healthcare services and opened 1.64 lakh Ayushman Bharat health centers for this purpose.

The minister said that MBBS seats have increased from 51,348 in 2014 to 1,08,940 currently and PG seats have increased from 31,185 in 2014 to 70,674 now. He added that the medical college has doubled in size with more doctors.

Mandaviya said the government has approved the establishment of 22 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), of which seven are fully functional, 12 are partially functional and the rest are at various stages of operation.

Around 622 crore inpatient admissions have been sanctioned under the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), a scheme aimed at providing secondary and tertiary care hospitalization health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per annum to 12 crore households. said the minister.

He said that under the e-health initiative of the Union Health Ministry eSanjeevani, more than Rs 20 crore of remote consultations have been completed.

He said organ donation had been promoted under the government and a central registry of blood banks had also been established. Some AIIMS are now using drones to transport organs, he added.

Mandaviya said vaccine production capacity has also been increased.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)