India crossing the 200-crore milestone in administering vaccination doses against Covid-19 reflects the "changing face of Bharat", BJP president J P Nadda said on Wednesday, and asserted that the country had to wait for about 20 years to get vaccines for polio and other diseases.
He was addressing a gathering after interacting with a group of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers at a vaccination centre on the premises of the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital (LHMC) here.
"India will always be indebted to doctors and healthcare workers who served humanity without concerning about their own lives during Covid. We have crossed the 200-crore milestone with regards to the number of total doses administered in the country since the vaccination began in January last year," Nadda said.
It is the "same India" that had to wait for nearly 20 years to get a vaccine against polio, smallpox, and other diseases, he added.
"But, with the vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country got not just one but two vaccines against Covid-19. This is a reflection of the changing face of India ('Bharat ki badalati hui tasveer dekhne ko milti hai'). Indians are now walking with a 'Suraksha Kavach' (security shield) and a 'Swasthya Kavach' (heath shield). And, under his leadership, now 75 days for free administration of the booster dose, will further boost that health shield," Nadda said.
India achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19 as the cumulative doses administered surpassed the 200-crore mark on July 17, 18 months after it began the drive to combat the deadly pandemic that has claimed over 5.25 lakh lives in the country so far.
In a tweet earlier, Prime Minister Modi had congratulated the countrymen on bringing about this significant feat. He called India's vaccination drive unparalleled in scale and speed.
Meanwhile, over 1.10 lakh doses have been administered in total under the vaccination programme being run by the LHMC authorities.
"Over 60,000 doses being given at our vaccination centre housed in the oncology block in the LHMC campus in central Delhi and more than 51,000 doses have been administered through camps at airports at other places," a senior doctor of the hospital said.
Till 1 pm, 127 beneficiaries had received booster dose of Covaxin, and four had got their first shot of the vaccine, doctors on duty said.
Ajay Kumar, 42, a Narela resident, who received his booster dose in the presence of Nadda appealed to others to come out and "get their extra cover of safety and security" against the pandemic.
Nursing Officer Marie Jennifer Cross, who administered the dose to him, also appealed to people to get their vaccine doses whenever due and not have any hesitancy.
(With PTI inputs)
