Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a virtual meeting with district officials from 10 states, discussing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated issues. The PM discussed several topics, from vaccine wastage and hoarding of essentials to the lessons we have learnt over the last year or so.
"Every pandemic has taught us this: To deal with a pandemic, our practices need constant change, innovation and upgradation. This virus is an expert in mutating and thus, our strategies should be dynamic in fighting it," he told the officials on the call.
"Coronavirus has made your work more demanding and challenging. In the midst of new challenges, we need new strategies and solutions. It becomes important to use local experiences and we need to work together as a country," he added. He emphasised the importance of fieldwork and the experiences and feedback received from all stakeholders while forming effective policies.
Speaking about the issues India faces alongside the rise in cases, the Prime Minister said that it was imperative to "keep lives easy" alongside saving them. "We must stop people from hoarding essentials and provide the poor and needy with foodgrains," he said.
Citing reports of vaccine wastage, Modi said that the loss of even a single dose meant that one person was being deprived of their shield. It was imperative, he added, to stop this from happening.
