Modi urges people to take preventive steps for covid

Addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, Modi wished people on the occasion of Christmas, but suggested celebration of festivals with caution.

“At this time many people are also in the mood for holidays. Enjoy these festivals a lot, but be a little cautious, too. You are also seeing that Corona is increasing in many countries of the world, so we have to take more care of precautions like mask and hand washing. If we are careful, then we will also be safe and there will be no hindrance in our enjoyment,” he said.

Noting that in the last few years India had overcome many major challenges related to the health sector, he said that through the efforts of medical experts and scientists, smallpox, polio and Guinea worm have been eradicated from India.

He mentioned the disease ‘Kala Azar’ and said that it will also be eradicated soon.

Observing that the parasite of this disease is spread through the sting of the sand fly, he noted that when someone has ‘Kala Azar’, they have fever for months, there is anaemia, the body becomes weak and the weight also decreases. This disease can happen to anyone from children to elders.

“But with everyone’s efforts, this disease named ‘Kala Azar’ is now getting eradicated rapidly. Till recently, the scourge of Kala-azar had spread in more than 50 districts across 4 states.

But now this disease is confined to only 4 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. I am sure, the strength and awareness of the people of Bihar-Jharkhand will help the government’s efforts to eliminate ‘Kala Azar’ from these four districts as well.”

He also urged the people in Kala Azar-affected areas to control sand fly, along with diagnosis and completion of treatment of the disease as soon as possible.

“The treatment of ‘Kala Azar’ is easy; the medicines used for this are also very effective. You just have to be alert,” he said.

“In this spirit of Sab ka Prayas, we are also working towards eradication of Tuberculosis in India, by 2025. In the recent past, when the TB Mukt Bharat campaign started, thousands of people came forward to help Tuberculosis patients. These people, as Nikshay Mitras, are taking care of the patients, helping them financially,” the prime minister said.

Talking of the achievements of traditional Indian medicine and healthcare system, he said that lack of evidence-based research in the context of Yoga and Ayurveda has always been a challenge, but now these traditional forms of healthcare systems are standing up to the touchstone of tests of the modern era.

Outlining the achievements of 2022, Modi said that India attained the status of the world’s fifth largest economy this year, the vaccination coverage surpassed the 2.2 billion mark and the exports crossed the $400 billion mark.

The address to the nation comes just days after the prime minister chaired a high-level meeting to assess the covid-19 situation in the country, preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, status of the vaccination coverage and the emergence of the new covid variants.

The meeting was attended by home minister Amit Shah, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and VK Paul, member (Health) NITI Aayog among others others.