BJP to train 100,000 health volunteers in essential medical services

The BJP on Sunday concluded a review of the relief work done by its workers in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 and said in the coming days, it will train one lakh health volunteers across the country to operate medical devices and perform other essential medical services.

BJP president JP Nadda had called a meeting of the party's general secretaries and the presidents of its different wings to take stock of the preventive and relief work carried out by the saffron party during the second wave of the pandemic and its performance in the recently-held Assembly polls.

The leaders also deliberated on post-poll violence in West Bengal, BJP general secretaries told reporters after the meeting.

The meeting was held at Nadda's residence and was attended by all the eight general secretaries of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh and the presidents of its yuva, kisan, mahila, OBC, SC, ST and minority morchas.

After the meeting, Nadda, Santhosh and the general secretaries of the party went to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence.

Talking to reporters outside Nadda's residence, BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said a report was presented to the party chief on the relief work carried out by the party amid the pandemic.

It was decided that the party will train one lakh health volunteers across the country, including imparting technical knowledge, to operate ventilator and other essential medical devices, he added.

The Scheduled Tribe (ST) wing of the party was asked to focus on promoting the Centre's Vandhan Yojana for tribals. Similarly, the kisan morcha will facilitate the training of farmers at the farmers producers organisations (FPOs) across the country and the women's wing will promote the "Poshan Abhiyan" among women, which aims to achieve a malnutrition-free India, Yadav said.

Talking about the BJP's performance in the recently-held Assembly polls in four states and a Union Territory, Yadav said it was observed at the meeting that the party has strengthened its position in West Bengal and also got four seats in Tamil Nadu.

On post-poll violence in West Bengal, he said reports of political violence have been coming from the state on a regular basis and underlined that the party is firmly standing with the people of Bengal.

Another BJP general secretary Arun Singh said under its "Sewa Hi Sangathan" campaign, the party marked the seventh anniversary of the Modi government.

As part of the campaign, the party carried out relief work in more than 1.71 lakh villages and around 60,000 urban centres, while over four lakh elderly and needy people were provided medicines, he said.

Similarly, 1.26 crore face masks, 31 lakh food packets and 19 lakh ration kits were distributed among people, Singh added.

In view of the second wave of COVID-19, the BJP had decided not to celebrate the seventh anniversary of its government at the Centre and rather mark it by carrying out relief work across the country, he said.