India's Covid Vaccine Key To A Disease-Free World: PM Modi To Mahinda Rajapaksa

The rapid development and launch of a Covid-19 vaccine by India was a landmark exercise in the world's endeavour to turn disease-free, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. In a Twitter exchange with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, he once again highlighted the role played by scientists and frontline workers in the battle against the pandemic.

Prime Minister Modi was responding to a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Rajapaksa following India's launch of the massive inoculation drive against Covid-19 yesterday.   

Prime Minister Rajapaksa had earlier tweeted that India's vaccination drive was the beginning of the end of "this devastating pandemic".

He was responding to a post by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka referring to the drive as a "human-centric approach to further global good".

Launching the massive exercise, which saw close to two lakh people being administered the vaccine, PM Modi said yesterday that India was among the few countries in the world that, despite all the difficulties during the pandemic, ensured that "essential medicines and medical help reached around 150 nations".

"Be it paracetamol or hydroxychloroquine or testing equipment, India has tried all possible ways to save other countries, too. Now that we have our own vaccine, even then the world is looking at India with hopeful eyes," he said in a national address prior to the launch.

"As the vaccination drive progresses, the world's countries will gain from India's experience. It is our commitment that India's vaccine and our manufacturing capability should be of use to entire humanity."