Consider it dharma, kartavya to follow Covid-19 protocol: Naidu

Appealing for a sense of urgency in dealing with the new surge of Covid-19 cases countrywide, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday called for the application of lessons of the past two waves of the infection. Naidu was speaking at the inauguration of the 15th global health summit organised by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).

"We must consider it our 'dharma' and 'kartavya' to follow the Covid-19 protocol at all times -- wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and getting vaccinated, and secure ourselves and our community," he said.

The VP further urged parents of children in the 15-18 age group to get their wards vaccinated at the earliest. Public-minded individuals, social advocacy groups, medical professionals and the government must reach out to as many people as possible to get rid of any vaccine hesitancy, he recommended.

He praised Indian-origin medical professionals for 'making their mark in every corner of the world', and hailed them for being the personification of the nation's value of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or the whole world as one family. Indian-origin physicians have gained a formidable reputation and several of them occupy top administrative positions, especially in the US, he said.

"They are among the most successful ambassadors of India's value system," he added.

Regarding Corbevax and Covovax, the two vaccines that were approved recently and made by Indian firms in collaboration with US-based organisations, Naidu said, "This experience clearly shows India-US collaboration in healthcare can reap great benefits not only for our countries but for the entire world."

While urban areas in the country have technology in tertiary healthcare that attract international patients, rural areas are lagging behind with limited access to even primary healthcare, Naidu said. He further suggested exploring telehealth and other technological solutions to reach out to rural and remote areas.