Painful that some raised concerns when India was battling Covid, helping other nations: Dhankhar

New Delhi: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said when India was battling the Covid pandemic and helping other nations simultaneously, it was painful that some "irritating" voices were raising concerns and not believing in the country's capabilities.

Addressing the 48th convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, he said, "As a nation, we need to escape that. That does not help anyone."

Dhankhar further said that he comes from the legal profession and understands what professionalism means. "A slight dilution, slight commercialisation, slight ethical deviation can be bad for those we seek to serve," he said.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and his junior minister S P Singh Baghel were present on the occasion.

Observing that the convocation was taking place after three years, the vice-president said the gap reminds him of the Covid pandemic.

Health workers brought the country out of the crisis through their hard work and sincere efforts, he added.

"They vindicated our civilisational ethos. We battled Covid at home and helped several countries simultaneously. It is a remarkable achievement. It was painful to find some irritating voices raising concern, not believing in our ability," Dhankhar said.

He said India today has become the pharmacy of the world.

"We have that skill and human resource. But we have to work a little more to make medicines affordable to the common man. The government has done massive work in this direction," the vice-president said.

Expressing his disapproval of getting too much involved in competitiveness, the vice-president advised the students to pick a career path according to their aptitude.

"You will be able to contribute enormously to the country and society," Dhankhar said.