india

Updated: Apr 24, 2020 20:46 IST

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant chose a unique way to celebrate his birthday deciding to don a lab coat and revisit his old days as an ayurvedic practitioner to show his solidarity with those working on the frontline in the battle against the epidemic.

“Today is my birthday, but i had decided that I would not celebrate it. Even though I am the chief minister, by profession I am an ayurvedic doctor. To support the medical fraternity and the frontline warriors, I have decided to spend half my day at Asilo Hospital to show solidarity. I sat in the ayurvedic OPD and asked Dr Samir that I will handle all the patients who walk in today. I felt nice to sit for the first time in 2008,” Sawant said.

Sawat was visiting the government run Asilo Hospital in North Goa District where he had practised as an ayurvedic doctor back in 2008 before actively involving himself in politics full time. He was elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly for the first time in 2012.

“If anyone is fighting this 24*7 it is the medical staff and so I am dedicating my birthday for the corona warriors. The message should go that the entire country is behind them and not only the politicians,” Sawant said.

Sawant also welcomed the ordinance making attacks on doctors an offence punishable with a jail term of seven years.

“The ordinance making attacks on doctors and medical staff punishable with one year to seven years, is a very welcome step. In Goa the situation is very good, medical professionals are respected and supported, But we have to give a message around the country that we all have to support the medical fraternity to make us corona free,” he added.

Goa became the first state in the country to have brought down its count of known active Covid19 patients to zero after all the seven people who contracted the disease tested negative.