Narendra Modi visited the vaccination centre at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital after the milestone was achieved
Prime miniter Narendra Modi interacts with a healthworker. Twitter/@narendramodi
From discussing beneficiaries’ hobbies to talking about the experience of healthcare workers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon various subjects during his visit to the RML Hospital here on Thursday as India completed administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses.
The prime minister also visited the vaccination centre at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital after the milestone was achieved.
“Today, when India has achieved a #VaccineCentury, I went to a vaccination centre at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The vaccine has brought pride and protection in the lives of our citizens,” he tweeted.
During his visit, Prime Minister Modi held interaction with beneficiaries, healthcare and frontline workers.
He asked a wheelchair-bound beneficiary, who had come to get her vaccine dose, about her hobbies.
“The PM asked me what are your hobbies and I told him I like singing, then he asked me to sing two lines of a song which I did,” she said.
For the beneficiary’s mother, it was “like a dream that the prime minister of India is meeting us”.
“He asked me how I take care of her and why there was a delay in her vaccination. He also asked my daughter about her routine and we feel proud in such a country where the prime minister is so humble and is connected to the people,” she said.
Arun Rai, who is differently abled, said the prime minister has honoured them by calling them ‘Divyang’.
“I told the prime minister that by calling us Divyang, you have given us so much respect and we feel so good about it. He said look at the paralympic players and the laurels they are bringing to the country. I told him that I used to be cricket player as well,” Rai said.
PM Modi stood beside Rai as he was administered his first vaccine dose.
Prime minister Modi also interacted with healthcare workers.
Jasmeet Singh, a healthcare worker, said the prime minister asked him of his experience.
“I told him about my experience and my duty at the vaccination centre. I told him how we explain to people that vaccination is an important tool in our fight against COVID-19 ,” Singh said.
Another healthcare worker, a nurse, said it was like a “dream come true for us that the prime minister has visited us”.
“The PM asked me how my journey has been and I told him that I have administered 15,000 vaccine doses to the beneficiaries. He asked me of my experience and how beneficiaries have reacted while being administered vaccine doses,” she said.
The prime minister also met a guard who was on duty at the hospital.
“He asked how did I do my duty in Covid times and that my family must be worried. I told him that they used to stop me but I wanted to serve my country.
The guard also referred to the PM calling himself a chowkidar (watchman).
“I also told him that once you said you are the chowkidar of the country. It boosted our morale and we have respect because of that. He also patted me on my back,” he said.
Modi has often described himself as a ‘chowkidar’ who would neither allow corruption nor get corrupted himself.
India took 279 days to administer 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on 16 January with health care workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from 2 February.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 1 March for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
The country launched vaccination for all people aged over 45 years from 1 April.
The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing all above 18 to be vaccinated from 1 May.