Union Health Minister praises PM Modi for timely lockdown, health care workers' contribution in fight against COVID-19

New Delhi [India], April 12 (ANI): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday praised the steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the contribution of Health care workers in the fight against COVID-19.
"PM Modi imposed a lockdown on time and took the step to create public awareness. Priority was to boost the morale of health workers and frontline workers. I had said on Floor of the House that utensil-clanging and clapping were done to motivate health workers risking their lives," Mandaviya told reporters.
Praising the health care workers who continue to serve the nation during the time of the pandemic, the Health Minister said that during the first and second waves of COVID, none of our doctors left their work.
"They worked continuously, many of them lost their lives but their fellow doctors continued serving the country. So, a comprehensive effort was essential and we did that,' he added.
Slamming the opposition for allegedly politicizing the issue of vaccination in India, Health Minister said that the government never indulged itself in such politics and always rose above the occasion.
"The vaccination campaign was politicized. There was a lot of politics around it but we never engaged in it. We always thought about benefitting others," he said.
He further praised the vaccination coverage in the country by sharing certain anecdotes and achievements around it.
"No country in the world has administered more than 97 per cent of its first dose to its citizens over the age of 18 years. India is the first country in the world to do this... There was a period of 10 days was we administered more than one crore vaccine dosses," he said.
"On the occasion of Prime Minister's Birthday, we administered more than 2.5 crore vaccine dosses. Then I had just tweeted that we should celebrate his Birthday by getting inoculated," he added.
Meanwhile, India reported 796 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry data on Tuesday. With this, the active caseload has gone up to 11,889.
The active cases comprise 0.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate remained at 98.76 per cent.
The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.20 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.24 per cent, according to the ministry.
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive have exceeded 185.90 crores so far. (ANI)