Cautioning people that Covid-19 was not completely over yet, President Ram Nath Kovind today appealed to all countrymen to be alert and follow all the government’s guidelines to fight the pandemic.

He was laying the foundation stone for the Bhagwan Mahavir Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi.

Speaking about the importance of face masks, the president noted that the introduction of surgical masks into modern history dated back to the year 1897 when surgeons began using masks to protect themselves from bacteria during operations.

But Jain saints, he said, understood the importance of masks centuries ago. By covering their mouth and nose, they were not only able to avoid killing living beings but they also were able to prevent the entry of micro-organisms into their body.

Kovind said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, masks have been used as an effective means of protection against the virus. He said that Jain saints also laid great emphasis on walking to underline the importance of physical exercise. He expressed confidence that this hospital would follow the path of making humanity healthy on the basis of scientific traditions shown by the saints.

The President said that the Jain tradition taught everyone to adopt a balanced and environment-friendly lifestyle. The way of life and eating habits in present times was not suitable for nature.

“We know that Jain saints and their disciplined followers eat their food only between sunrise and sunset. Adopting a lifestyle according to the daily movement of the Sun is an easy way to stay healthy. This is the lesson we get from the ideal lifestyle of Jain saints,” he said.

The president said that the integration of such scientific traditions with modern medical systems in hospitals would be helpful for a healthy life.

He said that priority has been given to service in the Jain tradition. He noted that a state-of-the-art Bhagwan Mahavir Super Speciality Hospital with 250 beds would be completed by the year 2023.

“It is a matter of happiness that in this super speciality hospital, high-quality health services will be made available to all sections of the society at affordable rates, and free of cost to the poor,” he noted.

The President was also happy to note that this hospital has rendered its services as a Covid-care hospital during the pandemic.