The Army is opening up its hospitals for civilians wherever possible and citizens can approach their nearest army hospitals, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Naravane apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday as they discussed various initiatives being taken by the Army to help in COVID management.
“Gen M.M. Naravane informed the PM that medical staff of the Army is being made available to various State governments. He also briefed the PM that Army is setting up temporary hospitals in various parts of the country,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Gen. Naravane also informed Mr. Modi that the Army is helping with manpower for imported oxygen tankers and vehicles where specialised skills are required to manage them, the statement added.
In the last few days, Chief of Defence (CDS) Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat and Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria also met Mr. Modi and appraised him of the efforts of the services to assist civil administration in dealing with the surge in COVID cases across the country.
The Army has established a dedicated COVID medical facility at the old Command Hospital Complex at Pune where substantial capacity has been created for treating civil patients referred by the district medical officer, Pune, the Army said.
In addition, the Army has also provided assistance in establishing a 900 bed hospital at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a 100 bed isolation facility at Barmer, Rajasthan, a 150 bed facility at Bhopal and two 40 bed facilities at Gwalior and Saugor.
The Navy too has set up facilities at its establishments to take in civilians. Three naval hospitals under Western Naval Command at INHS Jeevanti, Goa, INHS Patanjali, Karwar and INHS Sandhani, Mumbai have kept ready a few COVID oxygen beds for use by the civil administration.
“In Mumbai, facilities have been set up inside naval premises to provide basic amenities so that migrant labourers are not compelled to proceed to their home towns,” the Navy said in a statement. Naval authorities are also in regular communication with civil administration and all preparatory actions have been stepped up to offer any COVID contingency assistance, if requested, it stated.
Similarly, at Karwar elaborate arrangements have been made for supporting nearly 1,500 migrant labourers by supply of essential items, rations and basic healthcare. At Goa, some COVID oxygen beds have been earmarked for civilians at INHS Jeevanti.
“INHS Asvini at Mumbai has readied composite teams for deployment at short notice, including medical and non-medical persons trained as battle field nursing assistants for manning hospitals being set up for COVID care in different parts of the country under the direction of Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS),” the Navy added.
