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India committed to supplying affordable medicines to the world: Health minister
Mansukh Mandaviya is also set to chair a meeting with state health ministers to focus on ramping up the Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said that India has a commitment to supply affordable medicines to the rest of the world since it has taken the oath of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (“the world is our family”). He highlighted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis and said that while India began at a point where it did not even have enough medicines of its own, the country became self-reliant on its needs and eventually supplied medicines and other related drugs to more than 150 nations across the world.
“Today, India is the largest manufacturer and supplier of generic medicines,” Mandaviya said at the Invest India's Investors Summit on Wednesday. “We believe in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. We are seeing to it that the world gets affordable medicines.”
The health minister, who also holds the chemical and fertilisers charge at the Narendra Modi cabinet, added, “When the first wave of Covid-19 hit, the world did not have enough medicines [for the coronavirus disease]. We not only brought our own situation under control and met our own medicine requirements but also supplied medicines to over 150 nations. This is our commitment.”
The summit was a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to further strengthen India's position globally in terms of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Its theme was “Opportunities and Partnerships in Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices.”
Later in the day, Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to chair a meeting with state health ministers to focus on ramping up the Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country.
Meanwhile, India's inoculation coverage exceeded 103.53 crore as per a provisional report issued by the Union health ministry on Wednesday. “With the administration of 55,89,124 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 103.53 Cr (1,03,53,25,577) as per provisional reports till 7 am today,” the health ministry said.
India has reported 13,451 new Covid-19 cases, 14,021 recoveries, and 585 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry further informed.
