Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation : Key points
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that the Centre will provide Covid-19 vaccine free for all adults from June 21 onwards.
The Prime Minister while addressing the nation
said that the Centre has decided to buy 75 per cent of jabs from vaccine makers, including 25 per cent of the state quota, and give it for free to state governments.
Here are the highlights : Centre to provide free vaccines for all adults from June 21
* From June 21, the Centre will provide free Covid vaccine to all citizens above 18 years of age.
* None of the state governments will have to spend anything on the vaccine.
* Out of the total vaccines being produced in the country, the Centre will buy 75 per cent and give it to states for free.
* Private hospitals will continue to have access to 25 per cent of all vaccines.
* Private hospitals will be able to charge a maximum service charge of Rs 150 for a single dose after the fixed price of the vaccine.
Free ration scheme to continue till Diwali
* Today the government has decided that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will now be extended till Diwali.
* In this time of the pandemic, the government is standing by the poor with every need, as their partner.
* By November, free food grains will be available in fixed quantity every month to more than 80 crore countrymen.
Trial of 3 more vaccines in advanced stage
* Today seven companies in the country are producing different types of Covid-19 vaccines.
* The trial of three more vaccines is in an advanced stage.
* Research continuing on a nasal spray vaccine, which if successful can significantly boost India’s vaccination drive.
* India launched not one but two ‘Made in India’ vaccines within a year.
* Our scientists have shown that India is not lagging behind big countries. More than 23 crore vaccine doses have been administered in India.
* Due to the continuous efforts and hard work, the supply of vaccine is going to increase in the coming days.
Continue to follow Covid protocol
* Be aware of rumours about vaccines. I urge youngsters to raise awareness about benefits of vaccination.
* Covid protocol most important weapon against a virus that is unseen and that keeps changing.
India continues to fight second wave of Covid-19
* India is witnessing the second wave of Covid-19 and we are still fighting.
* India has gone through a lot of pain during this battle; many lost their loved ones, my condolences to all such families.
* This is the biggest epidemic in the last hundred years, it is a tragedy. The modern world had neither seen nor experienced such an epidemic. Our country has fought together on many fronts with such a big global pandemic.
* During the second wave, the demand for medical oxygen in India increased unimaginably in April and May. Never in India’s history the need for medical oxygen been felt in such quantity.
* To meet this need, work was done on a war footing. All government machinery was engaged.
Vaccine manufacturers less than current demand
* Compared to the demand for vaccines all over the world today, the countries producing it and the companies making the vaccine are less.
* Imagine if we did not have a vaccine that was made in India, what would have happened today in a huge country like ours?
* If you look at the last 50-60 years of India, it used to take decades to get the vaccines that are developed abroad. We could not start vaccination in India even though the vaccine work has been completed abroad.
