India / Our mantra for 2021 should be 'Davai bhi, kadaai bhi': PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday laid the foundation stone of AIIMS Rajkot and remembered the Corona warriors who risked their lives fighting the pandemic. He also urged people should not let their guard down and strictly abide by coronavirus preventive norms even after vaccination.

“‘Swasthya hi sampada hai‘, the year 2020 has taught us this well. It has been a year full of challenges. Therefore this last day of the year is the day to remember those Corona warriors who are fighting for us, risking their lives. I bow down to them,” he said.

Stating that the country is preparing for mass vaccination, PM Modi said that the new year is “coming with the hope of treatment. “I used to say ‘jab tak davai nahi dhilai nahi’ but now our mantra for 2021 should be: Davai bhi, kadaai bhi (yes to medicine and yes to caution).”

“I’m sure people of the country would make similar efforts for mass vaccination as they had put in to contain the spread of the virus. Around one crore people have recovered from COVID-19 and the number of daily fresh cases in India is going down. 2021 is coming with new hope of treatment,” Modi added.

India has turned into the nerve-centre of global health, Modi said. “We are working on mission mode to improve medical education in India. After the formation of National Medical Commission, the quality and quantity of health education will improve,” he added.

On December 21, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan and Gujarat CM Rupani virtually inaugurated the maiden academic session of 50 MBBS students of AIIMS Rajkot. The campus is now functioning out of a section of the building of Pandit Deendayal Upadhayay Government Medical College and PDU Hospital in the city.

The state government has allotted 200 acres land between Para Pipaliya and Khandheri villages on Jamnagar road on the northern periphery of the city. The central government has approved a total outlay of Rs1,195 crore for the proposed campus, which is expected to come up within three years.