Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that life-savers like medicines, vaccines and medical devices were weaponised during the COVID-19 pandemic, and asserted that his government has been consistently trying to minimise India's dependence on foreign countries in the health sector.

Addressing a post-budget webinar on 'Health and Medical Research', Modi said India's health sector was marred by a lack of integrated approach and long-term vision for decades but his government has not confined it to the health ministry alone and has dealt with it with the "whole of government" outlook.