SINGAPORE - Babies born during Singapore's 50th birthday next year can look forward to free health insurance in their first year.

Local insurance firm Great Eastern is waiving the $108 first-year fee for all jubilee babies for its integrated private medical insurance plan. Parents who wish to sign up can start doing so from Dec 1.

Parents who sign up for this Jubilee baby pack will also receive free mittens, booties and a bib.

Other initiatives planned by the insurance company include the fulfilment of 50 meaningful wishes. The public can provide their wishes online or through wish cards, but these wishes must be aspirational or for the betterment of Singapore as a whole.

Great Eastern will also be sponsoring 25,000 red and white wishing spheres that will be part of the New Year's Eve countdown at Marina Bay.

The public can write their wishes on these spheres at 31 locations island-wide, including the Esplanade, the Great Eastern Centre and various shopping malls.