New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS): Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Sunday on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the health workers 'deserve to be worshipped'.

This was Modi's eighth address to the nation on Independence Day since 2014. "There is no dearth of political will in taking up reforms. Today, the world can see that there is no dearth of political will in India. The world is a witness to how India is writing a new chapter of governance," the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi said, "The number of medical seats in the country has been increased. Affordable medicines are being made available to the poor under the Jan Aushadhi Yojana. So far, 75,000 Health & Wellness Centres have been set up. Very soon thousands of hospitals will have their own oxygen plants".

Lauding the efforts of the health scientists, doctors and paramedical staff for their role in combating the pandemic, PM Modi said, "During the coronavirus global pandemic, our doctors, our nurses, our paramedical staff, scientists engaged in making vaccines, citizens engaged in the fight, they all deserve to be worshipped."

During his Independence Day speech, Modi praised India's mass vaccination drive against Covid-19 and said, "Today we can proudly say that the world's largest vaccination program is going on in our country. More than 54 crore people have been vaccinated, an online system like CoWin, digital certificate giving system is attracting the world."

The Prime Minister said, "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and now 'Sabka Prayas' is important in our journey of building the Aatmanirbhar Bharat of our dreams. Our goal is to develop a nation where we not only have world-class infrastructure but also move ahead with the mantra of 'Minimum government, maximum governance."