Painful that some raised concerns when India was battling Covid: Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said when India was battling the COVID-19 pandemic and helping other nations simultaneously, it was painful to find some "irritating" voices raising concerns and not believing in the country's abilities.

Addressing the 48th convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, he said, "As a nation, we need to 'escape' that. That does not help anyone."

Dhankhar further said that he comes from the legal profession and understands what professionalism means.

"A slight dilution, slight commercialisation, slight ethical deviation can be bad for those we seek to serve," he said.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and his junior minister S P Singh Baghel were present on the occasion.

Observing that the convocation was taking place after an interval of three years, the vice president said the gap reminds him of the Covid pandemic.

Health workers brought the country out of the crisis with their hard work and sincere efforts, he added.

"They vindicated our civilisational ethos. We battled Covid at home and helped several countries simultaneously. It is a remarkable achievement. It was painful to find some irritating voices raising concern, not believing in our ability," Dhankhar said.

He said India today has become the pharmacy of the world.

"We have that skill, human resource. But we have to work a little more to make medicines affordable to the common man. The government has done massive work in this direction," the vice president said.