New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that life-savers like medicines, vaccines and medical devices were weaponised when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, and asserted that his government has been consistently trying to minimise India’s dependence on foreign countries in the health sector.
Addressing a post-budget webinar on ‘Health and Medical Research’, Modi said India’s health sector was marred by a lack of integrated approach and long-term vision for decades after Independence but his government has not confined it to the health ministry alone and has dealt with it with the “whole of government” outlook.
Our entrepreneurs should ensure India doesn’t have to import any technology and becomes self-reliant, he said, highlighting various measures taken by his government to boost entrepreneurship in the field.
“Today the market size of the pharma sector is 4 lakh crore. It can be worth 10 lakh crore with proper coordination between the private sector and academia,” he said.
