With the Covid-19 scenario throughout the nation worsening, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a assessment assembly with the armed forces, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and senior officers of the ministry on Saturday and “directed them to extend all possible assistance to the civil administration”.
The assembly — Singh’s second this week — came about even because the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been roped in to move vital medical tools throughout the nation and bringing oxygen containers from Singapore. The Navy has been saved on standby, and the opposite forces are creating new amenities in several districts for Covid-19 sufferers, the ministry acknowledged.
In an announcement, the Defence Ministry mentioned that Singh reviewed efforts of the ministry and the three forces in combatting the disaster. He “directed the armed forces and various other establishments of the Ministry of Defence to extend all possible assistance to the civilian administration to tide over the present situation”, the assertion mentioned.
Singh expressed “satisfaction” on help being supplied by the IAF in transferring oxygen tankers and vegetation from overseas and within the nation”, the ministry acknowledged. Singh was knowledgeable that “one C-17 IAF transport plane left for Singapore” on Saturday morning and was to return within the night with “four containers of cryogenic oxygen tanks”, it acknowledged.
The ministry assertion famous {that a} C-17 transported two empty container vans for liquid oxygen from Pune to Jamnagar, whereas one other transported two empty oxygen containers from Jodhpur to Jamnagar. A Chinook helicopter airlifted medical tools for Covid assessments from Jammu to Leh, it acknowledged.
Navy ships have been placed on standby for any help in transferring oxygen tankers, the assertion talked about.
DRDO chief G Sathish Reddy briefed Singh on 250 beds being added to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Covid Hospital in Delhi, which was reopened earlier this week with 250 beds, making it a 500-bed facility. Reddy additionally mentioned that in Gujarat, the DRDO has accomplished organising a 1,000-bed hospital, and work to determine a Covid facility in Lucknow is beneath approach. It will begin functioning within the subsequent few days, the ministry knowledgeable.
These hospitals can be run by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) “in coordination and with assistance of local state governments,” the ministry acknowledged. Since the AFMS “has its resources stretched to the limit, services of local doctors and health professionals might be enlisted for the 750-bed hospital coming up at Varanasi”, it acknowledged.
Besides the Defence Minister, the others who attended Saturday’s assembly by way of video-conference are Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General MM Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, Secretary Defence Production Raj Kumar, DRDO’s Reddy, Deputy Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Sandeep Singh and Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) Surg Vice Admiral Rajat Datta.
