A day after questioning India’s financial plan to purchase and distribute the Covid-19 vaccine, Serum Institute of India Executive Director Adar Poonawalla has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of providing vaccines to the global community.
“We share and applaud your vision @narendramodi ji, on providing vaccines to the global community. It is a proud moment for India, thank you for your leadership and support. It is clear that all his arrangements for India will address all the needs of the Indian people, ”Poonawalla tweeted.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi said that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to assist all of humanity in the fight against the ongoing pandemic.
“India provided medicines to more than 150 countries during the pandemic. As the largest vaccine producing country in the world, I want to assure you that India will do everything possible to promote global good. As of January 2021, as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, India will be committed to its responsibilities, ”said Prime Minister Modi.
Ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s assurance on the vaccine in his UNGA speech on Saturday, SII Executive Director Adar Poonawalla asked if the government will have Rs 80 billion available over the next year. “That is what India needs to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India. This is the next worrying challenge we must face, ”Poonawalla tweeted.
“I ask this question because we need to plan and guide vaccine manufacturers both in India and abroad to meet the needs of our country in terms of procurement and distribution,” he added.
SII is the world’s largest vaccine producer by number of doses produced each year. It is a production and testing partner for Covishield, a vaccine that is being developed by the University of Oxford and the pharmaceutical company Astrazeneca.
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