C'garh: IAF lauds COVID-19 frontline workers, shower petals

Raipur, May 3 () In a novel gesture to thankfrontline coronavirus 'warriors', an Indian Air Forcehelicopter showered flower petals on the All India Instituteof Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here in Chhattisgarh on Sunday.

Doctors, nurses, paramedical and other staff andpolice personnel assembled in an open area at the government-run AIIMS, as the Mi-17 chopper of the IAF took off from theRaipur airport at around 10.20 am and dropped petals on thehospital.

In videos released by the AIIMS Raipur, the hospitalstaff members were seen clapping and raising slogans of'Bharat Mata ki Jai' while the chopper was hovering over thepremises and dropping petals.

Some doctors and other staff were also seen recordingvideos of the activity on their mobile phones.

"We are overwhelmed to receive such an honour by ourarmed forces. Such an honour and respect motivates our staff,AIIMS Raipur Director Dr Nitin M Nagarkar said.

The medical staff members have been working day andnight with full commitment and their aim is to ensuredischarge of patients from the hospital after their fillrecovery, he said.

"This (COVID-19) is not a normal illness. Doctors andhealthcare personnel are also at the risk of getting infectedwhile treating such patients. They are not going home andafter a week of duty, they remain in isolation for 14 days,"the official said. TKPGK GK