New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-city visit on Saturday to “personally review the development and manufacturing process of the (coronavirus) vaccine,” the Prime Minister’s Office said on Friday.
He will visit the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and the Serum Institute of India in Pune, the PMO said.
“As India enters a decisive phase in the fight against COVID-19, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to these facilities and discussions with scientists will help him gain a first-hand perspective of the preparations, challenges and blade. Route in India’s Effort to Vaccinate Its Citizens “. PMO said in an official statement.
The Zydus Cadila plant is located in the Changodar industrial zone, near the city of Ahmedabad.
The drugmaker had previously announced that the phase I clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, has been completed and phase II clinical trials have begun as of August.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a short visit to Gujarat on Saturday, during which he will visit the Zydus Cadila facility to gain first-hand information on the progress made by the company so far in terms of developing coronavirus vaccines,” Gujarat Said Chief Deputy Minister Nitin Patel.
An official told PTI that Modi is likely to arrive at the plant around 9:30 a.m.
Modi will then proceed to Pune, where he will visit the Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with the global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University for the vaccine, a senior official said.
The prime minister will arrive in Pune around 12:30 pm, he said.
“We have received a confirmation on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the Serum Institute of India on Saturday,” said Pune Division Commissioner Saurabh Rao.
The prime minister will arrive at Pune airport at 12:30 pm on Saturday. He will attend the program scheduled at the Serum Institute of India from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., where he will review the production and distribution mechanism of the COVID-19 vaccine. ” he said.
Before the Prime Minister’s visit, a team from the Special Protection Group (SPG) arrived in the city for security arrangements and local machinery, including police, firefighters, revenue departments, people with disabilities and the health, they are coordinating.
The prime minister will then fly to Hyderabad, where he is scheduled to visit the facilities of the vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech, an official said.
Modi will land at Hakimpet Air Force Station and head to the Bharat Biotech facility in Genome Valley, about 50 km from Hyderabad. Covaxin from Bharat Biotech is undergoing phase 3 trials.
The prime minister will fly back to Delhi in the evening after his hour-long visit to the facility, the official said.
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