India now being called 'pharmacy of the world': Modi
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Nov, 2021 02:18 PM
New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the global trust earned by the Indian healthcare sector has led to the nation being called the "pharmacy of the world", in recent times.
"We believe in the well-being of the entire humankind. And, we have shown this spirit to the whole world during the Covid-19 global pandemic," the Prime Minister said.
He said "our definition of wellness is not limited by physical boundaries".
"We have exported life-saving medicines and medical equipment to over 150 countries during the initial phase of the pandemic. We have also exported more than 65 million doses of Covid vaccines to nearly 100 countries this year," Modi said.
He inaugurated the first Global Innovation Summit of the pharmaceuticals sector on Thursday. Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya was also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Modi said that the pandemic has brought the pharmaceuticals sector into sharp focus.
"Whether it is lifestyle, or medicines, or medical technology, or vaccines, every aspect of healthcare has received global attention over the last two years," the Prime Minister said.
He said that the Indian pharmaceutical industry has also risen to the challenge.
The Prime Minister also envisioned creating an eco-system for innovation that will make India a leader in drug discovery and innovative medical devices.
He said policy interventions are being made based on wide consultation with all stakeholders. He noted that India has a large pool of scientists and technologists with a potential to take the industry to greater heights.
"This strength needs to be harnessed to 'Discover and Make in India'," he added.
"Today, when 1.3 billion people of India have taken it upon themselves to make India 'Aatmanirbhar', we must think about ramping up domestic manufacturing of key ingredients for vaccines and medicines. This is one frontier that India has to conquer," said Modi.
The Prime Minister invited the stakeholders to Ideate in India, Innovate in India, Make in India and Make for the World. "Discover your true strength and serve the world" was the message.
The Supreme Court on Monday said it will also consider the names of some retired apex court judges to monitor day-to-day investigation in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident. The top court also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to upgrade its task force investigating the matter with some high-ranking officials.
According to the officials, now the foreign travelers will be allowed to visit India without a mandatory quarantine. The government's move came 20 months after the pandemic situation improved in the country.
Gurkirat Singh, who was the chief guest at Punjab Day Function held during the ongoing India International Trade Fair 2021 at Pragati Maidan, also urged the Central government for reopening of Kartarpur Corridor, which has been closed since March 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Acceding to a long-pending demand of former Olympians, Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Pargat Singh on Monday announced to waive the condition of income limit on pension of medal winner international players.
Out of the total surveyed people in Punjab, 52.1 per cent think that the new party of ex-Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will hurt the Congress, as per the ABP-CVoter-IANS 5-State Snap Poll.
The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking removal of the then Delhi Police Commissioner S N Srivastava from his post and punishment for police officials who allegedly failed to discharge their duty during the farmers' tractor rally in the national capital on January 26 (Republic Day).
