Image Source: Hindustan Times

India has put up a strong fight against Covid-19 and continues to battle the pandemic with determination, Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said during the launch of the Compendium on �CSIR Technologies for Covid-19 Mitigation� on Friday.

Dr Vardhan hailed the technological advancements and innovations by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) against Covid-19 and lauded the hard work put in by the country�s scientists and experts.

�The Compendium covers a wide range of technologies and products for fighting Covid-19, spanning diagnostics, drugs, ventilators and PPEs using more than 100 technologies and 93 industry partners. Over 60 of these technologies have been transferred for commercial production,� he said.

Talking about the Covid-19 situation in the country, he said India is not behind in fighting the virus. �We have fought the pandemic in full force. Two Indian companies have reached the clinical trial phase for Covid-19 vaccine. It is a matter of pride,� the minister said. He also said that India is among five such nations that could isolate the Covid-19 virus.

Dr Vardhan lauded healthcare professionals, doctors, paramedics, among other �corona warriors� of the country for their selfless fight against Covid-19.

The minister said that as a result of the country�s collective fight against the virus, India has one of the best Covid-19 recovery rates, around 64%, in the world while the fatality rate is also quite low. The health minister emphasised the improving rate of Covid-19 recovery in the country and said that over 10 lakh patients have beaten the virus across India. �Others are on a road to recovery as well,� Vardhan stated.

Dr Vardhan said that India has been supplying hydroxychloroquine to around 150 nations. �The virus is unpredictable, but we have been making strong effort to battle it,� he said.

The minister said that in the coming months, India plans to ramp-up the number of Covid-19 tests to 10 lakh daily. �In April, we were conducting just 6,000 tests on a daily basis, today, the figure has gone up to 5 lakh tests daily,� the minister noted.