New Delhi, May 1, 2021-
Around 600 retired armed forces doctors are being mobilised to help local administrations across the country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was informed during a Covid-19 review meeting on Saturday.
He reviewed the efforts of the Defence Ministry and the armed forces to support the local administrations in the fight against Covid-19.
Singh was also briefed that the Indian Navy has deployed 200 Battle Field Nursing Assistants to assist in various hospitals. The National Cadet Corps (NCC) has deployed 300 cadets and staff at various locations in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Haryana.
A tele-medicine service, to be operated by health service veterans, will begin soon to provide consultation to those patients who remain at home.
The Indian Army has made available more than 720 beds for civilians in various states.
Singh directed the Army to share the details with the local administrations at the state and district levels. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat suggested that local military commands should be actively engaged in assisting the civil administration.
Singh was briefed that the 500-bed hospital being set up by the DRDO in Lucknow will start functioning in the next 2-3 days.
Another hospital is also being set up in Varanasi which is scheduled to be completed by May 5.
The DRDO Chairman said the first four out of the 380 Oxygen PSA (Pressure Swing Absorption) plants will be deployed in hospitals in Delhi by next week.
Singh appreciated the logistics support being provided by the Armed Forces in transporting oxygen containers from abroad as well as within the country between places of consumption and production.
While transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) operated many flights from Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai and within the country, the Indian Navy dispatched four ships — two to the Middle East and two to South East Asia — to bring filled oxygen containers to India.
As on May 1, 2021, the IAF operated 28 flights from abroad, airlifting 47 oxygen containers with 830 MT capacity, while from within the country it carried out 158 sorties, airlifting 109 containers with 2,271 MT capacity.
The Navy and the Air Force have also supplied nearly 500 portable oxygen cylinders from their stores to various civilian hospitals.
Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are procuring 28 oxygen plants and other medical equipment worth Rs 40 crore for supplying to various hospitals in the states.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has set up a 250-bed hospital in Bengaluru. Another 250-bed hospital is being set up in Lucknow.
Singh reiterated that the Armed Forces should provide all necessary assistance to civilian administration and asked the officials of the Ministry of Defence and the three Services to closely monitor the progress of various initiatives. (Agency)
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