COVID-19: President warns against non-serious attitude

Lucknow, Aug 27 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said COVID-19 is not over yet and no one should have a non-serious attitude towards it.

He also appreciated the work done by doctors, nurses, health workers during the pandemic.

He was speaking at the 26th convocation of the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) here.

“The world is in the grip of an epidemic. In the fight against coronavirus, medical institutions like yours have played an important role,” he said.

“I was told that samples of patients from more than thirty districts were tested in the laboratory of the institute and about 20 lakh RTPCR tests were conducted. I appreciate the efforts of all the doctors, nurses, medical students, health workers and scavengers,” he added.

He noted that health workers treated the citizens and provided services despite challenges.

“You risked your life, the whole of India is appreciating your work. The fight against COVID-19 is not over yet, you people do not have to be careless about it. Masks and social distancing are our first priority for safety and vaccines are the best solution,” the President said.

Under the self-reliant India campaign, the scientists have given a vaccine made in India, Kovind said.

With the collective efforts of doctors, health workers and administrators, the country is running the world's largest vaccination campaign, he stressed.

According to a statement issued by the SGPGI earlier, it has been 41 years since the concept of creating a super specialty tertiary care centre in Lucknow was thought of.

The foundation stone of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow was laid on 14th December 1980 by the then President of India, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.

The first phase of the institute was initiated in late 1982. Patient care and academic work commenced in 1988. PTI SAB MGA MGA