India took all necessary steps well in time to combat COVID-19 pandemic: Harsh Vardhan

India took all the necessary steps well in time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday, asserting that the country has done well in dealing with the disease and is confident of doing better in the months to come.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally monitored the situation and ensured a preemptive, proactive and graded response, leaving no stones unturned to contain the deadly virus from spreading, Vardhan said, addressing the 73rd World Health Assembly via video conferencing.

India undertook the COVID-19 challenge with the highest level of political commitment, he added.

Therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines for the whole world is the only way out of this pandemic, Vardhan asserted.

"Global collaboration is paramount. Governments, industry and philanthropy must pool resources to pay for the risk, the research, manufacturing and distribution, but with the condition that the rewards should be available to everyone, regardless of where they have been developed," he said.

His remarks come after India on Monday joined nearly 120 countries at the crucial conference of the World Health Organisation in pushing for an impartial and comprehensive evaluation of the global response into the coronavirus crisis as well as to examine the origin of the deadly infection.

The two-day 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the WHO began in Geneva amid growing calls including by US President Donald Trump to investigate how the virus originated in China's Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing.

Taking to Twitter, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) -- the first ever to be convened virtually -- is an opportunity for health leaders to commit to "fight COVID-19 together, in unity, in solidarity!"
"I stand here to honour the doctors, the nurses, the paramedics, the scientists, the journalists, the delivery boys, security staff, sanitation staff and the police personnel - the forgotten roles who are today playing 'super humans'. They are our real heroes," he said after he stood up from his chair in a heartwarming gesture to honour the 'COVID warriors'