Jab makers give credit to Modi’s leadership
New Delhi, Oct 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the entire world is looking up to India in the backdrop of the success of its COVID-19 vaccination drive and hailed the efforts of vaccine makers who asserted that the country would not have been able to reach the inoculation level that it has attained till now, had it been following “old norms”.
He also said that the vaccine manufacturers should continuously work together to be ready to face future challenges.
Modi made the remarks in his meeting with Indian COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers who said his leadership was a key factor in India being able to administer 100 crore doses of the jabs in just about nine months.
The domestic vaccine manufacturers appreciated the vision and dynamic leadership of the prime minister in providing continuous guidance and support towards the development of the vaccines, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
They also praised the never-seen-before collaboration between the government and the industry, and applauded the regulatory reforms, simplified procedures, timely approvals, and forthcoming and supportive nature of the government throughout this endeavour, the PMO said.
The vaccine manufacturers noted that had the country been following “old norms, there would have been a considerable delay and we would not have been able to reach the vaccination level that we have attained till now”, the statement said.
After the meeting, Cyrus Poonawalla of the Serum Institute said, “Had it not been for him (Modi) and (he) driving the health ministry, today India would not have been able to make a billion doses. There is no doubt in my mind about that.”
The Prime Minister was happy that the assurance given by the Serum Institute that it will make India self-sufficient in Covid vaccine at the lowest possible price in the world was fulfilled, he said.
“The PM went out of the way and made regulatory people move very fast and they also cooperated,” he added.
Modi in his address to the nation on Friday had said the acceptance that India enjoys in the world as a pharma hub will be further strengthened now.
In the meeting on Saturday, Modi praised the efforts of the vaccine manufacturers, which has resulted in the country crossing the milestone of 100 crore vaccinations, and said that they have played a “big role” in the success story of India.
He appreciated their hard work and confidence given by them during the pandemic, the PMO said.
The Prime Minister exhorted that the country needs to institutionalise the best practises learnt during the last one-and-a-half years, and said that this is an opportunity to modify our practises, in tune with the global standards.
He said that the entire world is looking up to India in the backdrop of the success of the vaccination drive.
The interaction was attended by Cyrus Poonawalla and Adar Poonawalla, Serum Institute of India; Dr. Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella, Bharat Biotech International Ltd; Pankaj Patel and Shervil Patel, Zydus Cadila; Mahima Datla and Narender Mantela, Biological E. Ltd; Sanjay Singh and Satish Ramanlal Mehta, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd; Satish Reddy and Deepak Sapra, Dr. Reddy’s Lab; and Rajesh Jain and Harshit Jain, Panacea Biotec Ltd. (PTI)
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