PM Modi spoke about the need to stay vigilant on the coronavirus situation (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the floor leaders of all parties in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in a meeting over the country's response to COVID-19 and said the pandemic should not be a "matter of politics and is a matter of concern for the entire humanity".
"PM informed leaders about the rising speed of India's vaccination program and how the first 10 crore doses took around 85 days while the last 10 crore doses have taken 24 days. He also informed the leaders that the daily closing stocks show an average of more than 1.5 crore vaccines at the end of the day throughout the country," the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs said in a statement.
PM Modi said the vaccination drives at the district level should be properly planned on the basis of availability indicated by the Centre to ensure there is no inconvenience to people.
He expressed concerns that a large number of healthcare and frontline workers remain unvaccinated even six months after the drive started.
He talked about the efforts being made to ensure one oxygen plant is installed in every district.
"PM spoke about the need to stay vigilant looking at the situation in various countries. PM added that mutations make this disease very unpredictable, and hence we all need to stay together and fight this disease," the statement added.
PM Modi said vaccines from more companies are likely to be available in some time and spoke about the push being given by the government to vaccination.
According to new agency PTI, Shiv Sena and the Trinamool Congress demanded more vaccines for Maharashtra and West Bengal. Other parties urged PM Modi to boost the vaccination drive.
The Congress didn't attend the meeting. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had said the Congress was not boycotting the meeting, but it would skip the meeting as his party wanted the government to present the facts in parliament, PTI reported.
With inputs from PTI