New Delhi, Feb 18 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday suggested creating a special visa scheme for doctors and nurses for quick travel during health emergencies, while addressing an online workshop on COVID-19 management, where Pakistan and other neighbouring countries participated.

The Prime Minister suggested creating a special visa scheme for medicos on the request of the receiving country and asked whether Civil Aviation ministries can coordinate a regional Air Ambulance agreement for medical contingencies.

Mr Modi also recommended creation of a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among populations

The workshop - Covid-19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward - was attended by health leaders, experts and officials of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.

Mr Modi lauded the way the health systems of the countries cooperated during the pandemic and met the challenge in the most densely populated region with coordinated response, an official statement said here.

'This spirit of collaboration is a valuable take-away from this pandemic.Through our openness and determination, we have managed to achieve one of the lowest fatality rates in the world. This deserves to be applauded.

'Today, the hopes of our region and the world are focused on rapid deployment of vaccines. In this too, we must maintain the same cooperative and collaborative spirit,' added the Prime Minister.

He suggested that from India, Ayushman Bharat and Jan Arogya schemes may be useful case-studies for the region.

'If the 21st Century is to be the Asian Century, it cannot be without greater integration among the countries of South Asia and the Indian Ocean island countries. The spirit of regional solidarity that you have shown during the pandemic has proven that such integration is possible,' Mr Modi said.

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