Defence forces salute corona warriors in different parts of Country

Chennai, May 3: The nation's security warriors on Sunday saluted the inland corona warriors or the healthcare officials by showering flower petals over them from helicopters. On Sunday morning at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital and Tamil Nadu Government Multi Speciality Hospital, doctors, nurses and conservancy staff stood on an orderly line, maintaining social distance looking up at the sky. Soon they heard the approaching helicopter of the armed forces which showered flower petals on them as a mark of salute for the selfless service. The corona warriors at the hospital accepted the aerial salute by clapping their hands and looking up at the copter. "It was an emotional moment for all of us to get the military salute. It was a high honour for all of our staff. The Navy gave a memento. The armed forces gave a gift hamper with sweets which were distributed," Jayanthi Rangarajan, Dean, Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital told IANS. She also expressed her condolence to the brave hearts who lost their lives in Kashmir fighting terrorists on Saturday night. {"id":40640,"sizeSlug":"large"} Similarly, Mumbaikars looked up in the sky with amazement as the Tri-Services accorded a grand aerial salute with showers of flowers and petals acknowledging the work of the frontline warriors in the war against the virus here on Sunday morning. Helicopters and fighter planes flew over the empty but picturesque Marine Drive and other parts of Mumbai as the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force came out to pay tributes to the doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police and others involved in the fight against COVID-19. Helicopters flew around certain key hospitals treating Covid-19 patients like the INS ASHVINI, Sir J. J. Hospital, KEM hospital and the Kasturba Hospital. The Sukhoi-30 aircraft flew in a march-past from the Raj Bhavan to Marine Driver while MI-17 and Chetak choppers showered flowers on the hospitals situated in congested localities of South Mumbai, mesmerising the citizens cooped up in their homes. {"id":40641,"sizeSlug":"large"} An Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 helicopter on Sunday showered flowers over the state-run Victoria Hospital in the city centre of Bengaluru and its Command Hospital in the eastern suburb, honouring Corona warriors, including doctors, nurses and paramedics."The Russian-built Mi-17 took off from the Yelahanka air base in the city's northern suburb at 10.15 a.m. and flew over Victoria Hospital and Command Hospital between 10.30-10.45 a.m., showering rose petals over them from a low height," a defence spokesman told IANS here.A clear summer sky enabled the pilot to locate the hospitals easily and drop the flower petals on their roofs and around its area.Maintaining physical distance and wearing masks, doctors, nurses and staff of both hospitals stood in the open ground and cheered the chopper pilot with thumbs up sign for greeting them with flowers on the occasion."They all clapped and waved hands to the pilot as the copter flew over the hospitals," the official said.An IAF band played music at both the hospitals and saluted the Covid warriors in the grounds."We are touched by the IAF gesture in honouring our healthcare professionals who have been working day and night over a month-and-half in taking care of Covid patients in the isolated wards," a hospital official told IANS on phone.A C-130 transport aircraft of the air force will fly over the state secretariat (Vidhana Soudha) later in the afternoon as a tribute to the Covid warriors. {"id":40642,"sizeSlug":"large"} An Indian Navy chopper showered rose petals over health workers, especially frontline staff at the Goa Medical College, the state's biggest hospital and a quarantine facility for Covid-19 patients, as part of a nationwide drive by the country's armed forces to show solidarity with the Covid-19 medical staff. Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, that the act by the Indian Navy of showering rose petals over the hospital workers, including Covid-19 frontline workers, would boost their morale to combat the viral pandemic. "It is a day of joy that Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard have facilitated this. This is such an emotional and encouraging step which has never been experienced before. This felicitation of our medical professionals and frontline workers in the war against Covid-19 gives us great encouragement," Rane told reporters after the flypast. Commenting on Goa being declared as a Covid-free 'green zone', Rane said: "Now that Goa has been declared a green zone, our challenge really starts now".