PM Modi does not mince words; and he surely does not hesitate in giving credit where it is due. On Monday, the Prime Minister exhibited more than his usual candour, when he declared that India is in a much better position than many other countries in the fight against COVID-19, owing to the "right decisions taken at the right time."
No wonder, the deaths in India are much lower than in many large countries, he pointed out. Likewise, India's recovery rate was also higher than that in other countries and there was a perceptible improvement in the tally every day.
The number of people who have recovered thus far from the virus is about to reach the 10 lakh mark, he reminded his audience. "The world is praising us because of the efforts of the foot soldiers. We don't lack awareness," the Prime Minister said.
Incidentally, India on Monday recorded the highest 5.15 lakh Covid-19 tests in a day. The good news trickled in even as PM Modi unveiled three labs of the Indian Council of Medical Research through video conferencing, which will ramp up the daily tests to 10 lakh soon.
These new labs are located in three institutes -- National Institute of Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata and the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi. These labs can do high volume of tests on multiple machines.
Apparently, as the PM reminded the nation, the country has expanded its health infrastructure at a rapid pace to deal with the pandemic. All this, in turn, was possible as the Centre had the good sense to announce a package of Rs 15,000 crore at the beginning of the COVID-19 battle.
"We want to save each and every Indian," the Prime Minister declared, adding that the country now has more than 11,000 COVID facilities and more than 11 lakh isolation beds.
‘‘What India did with PPE, masks, test kits, it is a massive success story. At one point, India didn't manufacture a single PPE kit. Now, it is the world's second largest manufacturer. Over 1,200 manufacturers have churned out these PPE kits within six months. Over three lakh N-95 masks are being made in India. Three lakh ventilators can now be produced every year," he said, delving into what his detractors may consider to be trivia.
For the record, as many as 49,931 persons were found infected in the past 24 hours, as against the highest 50,362 detected a day earlier. The death toll has gone up to 32,771, with 708 succumbing in the past 24 hours.
