In touch with world health body for Covid research, says Vardhan

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 20

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today said India was in regular touch with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and was also the first one to hold a technical meeting on the origin of the deadly Covid. This was in response to Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari, who while referring to US President Donal Trump’s statement and reports of China not allowing entry to the WHO in Wuhan, said the government should talk to the apex health regulator and other friendly countries to ensure it is a “naturally occurring virus and has not originated as a result of a certain scientific experiment or a series of experiments which may have gone astray.”

Talking to everyone

As Congress MP Manish Tewari says the government should talk to the apex health regulator and other friendly countries to ensure it is a naturally occurring virus and not a result of scientific disaster, Vardhan assures that India is in touch with everyone on the research front as India was the first country to hold a Technical Expert Group meeting on January 8.

Currently, various conspiracy theories are doing the rounds regarding the origin of the virus. Assuring that India is in touch with everyone on the research front, Vardhan said, “We are in touch with the Regional Director of the WHO for South East Asia region and also with the Director-General of the WHO in Geneva.”

During the Question Hour, several members raised questions on the steps being taken by India, including those to deal with “disinformation and misinformation.”

“A number of persons, particularly from the ruling party, have been giving statements that cow urine and cow dung are useful,” said Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy.

According to the Health Minister, India was the first country to hold a Technical Expert Group meeting on January 8. “We are focusing on our country. We have also held a technical expert meeting. The origin of the virus is also being investigated. China reported the first case on December 30, 2019, when they said that they had noticed some cases of pneumonia which have an unknown aetiology and they were not able to pinpoint the actual cause of that.

Earlier, Tewari said that Trump referred to certain attributes of Covid and alluded to a particular country with regard to its origin. “We are all aware that WHO is not being given access to Wuhan in order to investigate the origins of coronavirus,” Tewari said.