(Image source from: digitaloceanspaces.com)

Dr. Harsha Vardhan said that the vaccine trials in the country are in full swing with three clinical trials and four pre-clinical trials underway.

Expressing hope on the further COVID-19 situation in the country, the Health Minister of India, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the situation will be under control by Diwali.

While speaking in the press conference on Sunday, Harsh Vardhan said that India is much ahead in tackling the coronavirus crisis.

The minister made this remark while inaugurating the nation’s first webinar series that has been organized by the Anathkumar foundation on Sunday.

The press statement said that the COVID-19 situation will significantly come under control by this Diwali and all the leaders and common people effectively worked together to fight the pandemic.

Vardhan also said that the health officials had already conducted a meeting much before the first COVID-19 case was registered in India.

He added that since then the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had formed a committee led by him which had already met 22 times.

The health minister said that there was only one laboratory in the country in February which has now been increased to 1583. Out of these, more than 1000 are government labs.

He mentioned that India is currently conducting about 1 million tests per day which is a much larger number than the anticipated one.

He observed that compared to days in February and March, there is no scarcity of PPE kits, ventilators, and N 95 masks lately.

Five lakh PPE kits are produced in the country every day and 10 manufacturers are producing N 95 masks. Moreover, 25 manufacturers in the country are producing sufficient ventilators.

The health minister also expressed his hope that the vaccines for COVID-19 would be readied by the end of the year and all this is because of the farsightedness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the country could reach this stage.

However, the World Health Organization’s Chief said that hurry in procuring medicines would mislead the target and advised the countries to remain prudent and hopeful for a good medicine that would eliminate this crisis for good.

Earlier, the health experts of India have also expressed their views that the people of India are being ob.livious to the seriousness of the situation and since the Unlock has begun, people have been careless and not using face masks or following social distancing norms.

Read more here: Increase in COVID-19 cases in India

It is to be noted that Unlock is for the revival of the economy but not for people to roam free without precautions.

By Gayatri Yellayi