Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated the health care and frontline workers for their efforts in the fight against COVID-19 in a virtual interaction with doctors, paramedical staff and frontline workers of Varanasi on Friday.
He stressed on the need to focus on rural areas to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“Fight against COVID-19 is going to be long,” he said, while recommending that the administration should follow the motto, ‘Jahan Bimar, Vahan Upchar.’
He added that Kashi had successfully carried out micro-containment zones and door-to-door distribution of medicines and relief measures. He also highlighted the work of senior doctors of Uttar Pradesh that had helped rural areas through telemedicine.
“Such measures should continue to be up and running even after the number of cases fall,” he added, while also appreciating the efforts of ASHA workers and ANM sisters.
The prime minister commended the short span of time taken by his constituent assembly in increasing the number of oxygen and ICU beds, equipping the Pandit Rajan Mishra COVID hospital and using technology to ensure that the relief measures are available for everyone.
Speaking of the many lives lost due to the pandemic, the prime minister choked with emotions and paid his respects to the deceased. He went on to state that the administration has had to fight on many fronts as the second wave of the coronavirus has hit with higher infectious rate and longer hospital stays, burdening the healthcare system.
He also stated that yoga has helped fight Covid all over the world.
He said that when yoga had been recognised by the UN and had reached the world through International Yoga Day, it was ridiculed and communalised, but today, Yoga and AYUSH have helped fight the pandemic.
He also warned against the challenge of black fungus which had surfaced and stated that “we must focus on taking precautions and preparations to deal with it”.
