Raipur: In a novel gesture to thank frontline coronavirus ‘warriors’, an Indian Air Force helicopter showered flower petals on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here in Chhattisgarh on Sunday.
Doctors, nurses, paramedical and other staff and police personnel assembled in an open area at the government- run AIIMS, as the Mi-17 chopper of the IAF took off from the Raipur airport at around 10.20 am and dropped petals on the hospital.
In videos released by the AIIMS Raipur, the hospital staff members were seen clapping and raising slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ while the chopper was hovering over the premises and dropping petals.
Some doctors and other staff were also seen recording videos of the activity on their mobile phones.
“We are overwhelmed to receive such an honour by our armed 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 and night with full commitment and their aim is to ensure discharge of patients from the hospital after their fill recovery, he said.
“This (COVID-19) is not a normal illness. Doctors and healthcare personnel are also at the risk of getting infected while treating such patients. They are not going home and after a week of duty, they remain in isolation for 14 days,” the official said.