Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday lauded vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India and its CEO Adar Poonwalla for their contribution to the fight against Covid-19. He was speaking at the inauguration of Bharti Super Specialty Hospital at Bharti Vidyapeeth where Poonwalla was conferred with the first Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award.
"I am very happy we got the opportunity to felicitate Poonawalla. It is an opportunity to say thanks for saving us. The entire nation wants to thank you," he said. The vaccines provided by SII during the pandemic showed the country's strength to the world, Fadnavis said. He also hailed the Bharti Vidyapeeth and said Patangrao Kadam was a leader who created 190 institutes to provide quality education and created quality human resource. `
The event was also attended by Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Adar Poonawalla was carrying forward the legacy of his father Dr Cyrus Poonawalla as SII has manufactured 160 vaccines, Pawar said. Hailing Adar Poonawalla for social consciousness, Pawar said the former had contributed greatly to keep Pune clean due to his work on waste drainage. The HP CM asked both Bharti Vidyapeeth and SII to set up facilities in his state.