Modi has dedicated himself to win the war on the virus and is leading it from the front
The once-in-a-century Covid-19 pandemic is one of the biggest challenges the Narendra Modi government has faced since 2014. Adhering to the spirit of 'seva', the Prime Minister has dedicated himself to win the battle against the virus. He has been at the forefront ofmobilising resources on a war-footing. India's pharma sector, industries, armed forces, doctors and other related stakeholdersare working together in tandem with the Modi government to reach out to people in need in the shortest possible time. Within days, the oxygen production jumped and increased from 5700 MT/day in August, 2020 to 9,446 MT/day in May, 2021.The Indian railways set in motion Oxygen Expresses. Till June 2, 2021, 23,741 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) were delivered by more than 593 Oxygen Expresses to various parts of the country.The armed forces pitched in to support the country. Dr. Devi Shetty, a renowned cardiac surgeon, has praised the government for moving "heaven and earth" to get oxygen. Since 2020, multiple measures have been taken to ramp up healthcare facilities. On March 25, 2020, India had 10,180 isolation beds and today, over 14 lakh. The number of ICU beds increased to over 81,000 as of April, 2021 as compared to just 2,168 in March, 2020. The number of hospital beds stands at 18.52 lakh. This timewe were equipped with “Made in India” vaccine. In the first phase of India's vaccination drive, three crore doctors, nurses, healthcare and frontline workers took the jabs. These early strides helped secure lives of India's frontline workers. Till May 31, 2020, India has administered more than 21 crore doses. India has also fast-paced its manufacturing of essential medical supplies. Production of drugs such as Remdesivir rose from 37 lakh in April, 2021 to 1.20 crore by May. Nearly 38,103 ventilators were supplied to states, UTs and government institutions. India has already become an exporter of PPE kits and N95 masks. From just one lab in January, 2020, we now have 2,463 testing facilities with a combined daily testing capacity of 15 lakh. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, covering 80 crore Indians, has been extended. Last year, Rs 1.7 lakh crore PM Garib Kalyan Package was announced to help the most vulnerable sections of the society. The government has augmented manpower by allowing medical interns to be deployed with full safety protocol and payment of internship. The PM-CARES fund has been a critical resource in the fight. A part of the fund is being used to install 551 oxygen generating plants across India. It is in addition to already approved 162 oxygen plants. The DRDO, too, would be installing 500 additional medical oxygen plants, taking the total to more than 1,200. Ventilators procured from the fund have been instrumental in strengthening healthcare infrastructure in states. A special fund, PM Cares for Children has been instituted for the children who have lost their parents to Covid-19. From ventilators to vaccines, the states and UTs are being provided all the necessary resources, including supplies received from other nations, at the Centre's disposal proportionately without political considerations. It is another story that the opposition has not left any stone unturned in turning the national crisis into an arena for political mudslinging and doing politics over dead bodies. Modi has taken many brickbats, even when others failed to do their duty, but that has not stopped him from doing what is best for the country. His ‘seva bhaav’ continues to be the guiding light of his governance and political legacy.
(The author represents the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Rohini Assembly constituency in Delhi. The views expressed are personal.)
