For 75 years, we under-invested in health sector, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is an all-consuming challenge and welcomed goodwill from various countries.

“We will get through this. But there is a larger lesson out of all of this. There is a sense of solidarity. I feel it here in London from the G7 because almost all the countries have been through exactly what we are going through. They feel for you. This pandemic is truly not just a game-changer, it’s a thought changer. I see solidarity in diplomacy today, and I would like to see that at home as well,” Jaishankar said during a live event ‘Does India have a plan? From survival to revival’ as part of the Global Dialogue Series organised by UK-based media house India Inc Group and the Indian High Commission in London.

The EAM is on a four-day trip to the UK to attend the G7 foreign minister’s meeting. Admitting that the country’s healthcare system has been exposed to the virus, Jaishankar said there was a focused plan to boost vaccination drive and tackle the country’s needs even after the pandemic. “Repeated advisories were going out and public health teams sent out. There was a move to ramp up oxygen production. The reality, unfortunately, was, as the numbers came down there was an amount of public confidence. This is not a blame game, but I don’t think anyone in the country can say we kept our guard up all the time. We are a deeply democratic and political country and in a democracy, you can’t have elections. Elections are sacrosanct. It is clear that for 75 years, we have under-invested in health,” he said.