New Delhi: India is celebrating its 76th Independence Day today with utmost fervour and a sense of patriotism reflected across the country. The grandest celebrations will take place in the capital city Delhi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the occasion from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort. He will unfurl the National Flag and deliver the customary Address to the Nation for the ninth consecutive time.
For the first time, a home-grown howitzer gun, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), developed under the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, will fire during the ceremonial 21-gun salute. The gun is completely indigenous, designed and developed by DRDO. Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Ajay Bhatt and Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar.
The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, AVSM, to the Prime Minister. The GoC Delhi Area will then conduct PM Modi to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to announce a host of initiatives for the health sector on Independence Day with the highlights being the 'Heal in India' and 'Heal by India' projects and a roadmap to eliminate sickle cell disease by 2047, official sources said.
Inclusion of the Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer in the National Immunisation Programme and the expansion of the National Health Mission under a new name 'PM Samagra Swasthya Mission' may also figure in Modi's speech from the Red Fort on Monday, they said.
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Under the 'Heal in India' initiative that aims at positioning the country as a global hub for medical and wellness tourism, medical infrastructure at 37 hospitals in 12 states will be ramped up to boost medical tourism, the sources said. Interpreters and special desks at 10 identified airports, a multilingual portal, and simplified visa norms for international patients and their companions are also among the highlights of the initiative.
Official sources said that the government has identified 44 countries, predominantly African, Latin American, SAARC, and Gulf nations, from where a large number of people visit India for medical purposes. The cost and quality of treatment in these nations were also taken into account, they said.
Under the 'Heal by India' initiative, which aims to project the country as a global source of trained and competent manpower in the health sector, the Health Ministry is developing an online repository of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, which will also have a provision to mention which nation they wish to render their services.
Through the portal, external stakeholders such as patients and recruiters from India or abroad will be able to search for a required professional based on the specialty or system of medicine, languages known, and the country they prefer to work in said an official.
About the prime minister's expected announcement of expanding the National Health Mission for developing tertiary care capacities at district-level hospitals, an official source said that five percent of the resources allocated for every state will be earmarked for tertiary care. Along with the expansion, the National Health Mission is expected to be rechristened PM Samagra Swasthya Mission, added a source.
This overhauled mission will provide an integrated platform for the convergence of the four pillars of Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, and PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.
