As the world struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic, we, the people of India, rise and come together in spirit, to celebrate the 74th Independence Day of India. We feel honored to be citizens of the world’s largest democracy and an emerging economic powerhouse in the world today.
An economic powerhouse
On India’s 74th Independence Day, I extend my wishes to the people of my dear country, which is the largest democracy in the world. Home to about one sixth of the global population, I am proud that my country occupies a place of prominence in world affairs. We are on the cusp of a great take off to become an economic powerhouse through various developmental programmes being ushered in by the government, led by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Make-in-India: Being self-reliant
Prime Minister Modi visualises our country as Atmanirbhar Bharat (a self-reliant India) to harness the strength of our population and make India self-reliant. I feel proud as an NRI entrepreneur, to be able to witness the development of India in manufacturing through the Make-In-India campaign. It is also commendable to note that India has established strong strategic ties with different nations in the world.
India-UAE special relationship
India has a special relationship with UAE, which has been strengthened by constant efforts of the visionary rulers of the countries. As a NRI established in UAE for more than three decades, it is my proud privilege to be able to contribute towards the economic and social development of both countries.
A couple of months back, we saw this when there was mutual help extended by the two nations to facilitate medical aid and support in fighting the pandemic. At Aster, we have been privileged to facilitate this support by bringing in 88 critical-care professionals from our hospitals in India who joined Dubai government’s effort to contain the pandemic.
The dedicated frontline workers
The celebrations for Independence Day this year shall be subdued due to the Coronavirus which is taking a high toll in India. The soldiers in the frontline against the sinister monster are the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, along with the administration and police who are working day and night to contain the pandemic. We deeply appreciate the dedication of these warriors from our 13 hospitals in five southern states of India who have been actively participating in treating Covid-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic and continue to do so.
Aster Volunteers Programme
In our own way, we stand with our country and its people, holding hands and supporting them whenever possible, both during celebrations and adversities. Through the Aster Volunteers Programme we have tried to ensure that we are able to reach even those sections of the society who may not have access to affordable healthcare in the current crisis. These are in addition to other initiatives, through which we have been able to impact more than million lives.
A society that remains healthy is one that grows faster. As one of the leading healthcare providers in GCC and India, we promise to stand by India to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to as many people as possible so that the people of our country can focus on working towards truly becoming “Atmanirbhar” or self-reliant.
- The author is the Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare
