While India is battling with COVID-19 menace , the Army is not only guarding borders but also been engaged in facilitating the essential needs of citizens during this critical time . Besides healthcare workers and state police forces, the Indian Army has been in a proactive role at the forefront of fighting COVID-19 and providing assistance in various key areas across the country and beyond. From distributing bags of food supplies, disinfectant spray to evacuating stranded Indians from foreign countries in the midst of the pandemic and setting up quarantine facilities, military personnel have led the task.
In order to defeat this invisible army – COVID 19 , the Indian army has launched an operation “CO-JEET" to aid anti-Covid-19 efforts, like strengthening medical infrastructure and oxygen supply chains, as well as take measures to ensure mental wellbeing of people.
"Besides medical therapy, patients need the reassurance that they will be fine and “in times of stress, if you have someone to talk to, it makes a huge difference",
-Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) Lieutenant General Dr Madhuri Kanitkar.
Operation CO-JEET:
The aim of this operation is to assist in enduring mental wellbeing of the individuals and also strengthening medical infrastructure and oxygen supply chains. At the facility which is operated by the AFMS (Armed Forces Medical Services) near Terminal 1, under OP CO-JEET, the army, navy and air force personnel are helping the civilian administration in its fight against the global pandemic to control the pandemic.
Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment (BHDC) catering to personnel & civilians:
Whether it is Indian Navy, or the IAF or the Indian Army, all the Military Medical facilities have been instructed to help the civil administrations across the country. Beds have been added to the existing numbers.
The BHDC has been converted into a Covid hospital with comprehensive arrangements for providing critical care to the patients. With the second wave, BHDC had catered for 340 COVID beds of which just 250 beds were oxygenated.
Despite the beds being filled to their capacity, patients over and above this capacity are being treated at the Trauma Centre after obtaining their consent that they were willing to wait for beds. On priority basis, the plan was activated to expand the capacity to 650 COVID beds and out of these 450 beds have been oxygenated by April 30, 2021. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) too has more beds – from 12 to now 35. By the second week of June this year, there are plans to expand the existing capacity to 900 oxygenated beds.
The Indian Army, in another initiative has launched a COVID tele-consultancy & Information Management Cell. The cell which is under a senior officer is functioning 24 x 7 and is giving medical advice and information about admitted patients with due sensitivity. And, on an average, 1200-1300 calls are handled by this cell.
What are the functions of this cell?
These include: Telephonic consultation including provision of expert medical advice; Updates regarding admitted patients to relatives; Guidance regarding bed availability/admissions; COVID test reports; Coordination of personal requests from patients/ relatives; and most importantly provide information regarding COVID vaccination.
Many countries like Taiwan , France and Germany have extended their support to India in this tough times.
A special flight from Taiwan carried the first batch of 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders arrived in New Delhi. Last month on April 27, President Tsai Ing-wen had conveyed solidarity with India and expressed deep concern about India’s situation. Adding, that “Taiwan stands with India during this difficult time while offering to provide help.”
120 ventilators (model PrismaVent 50) have already landed in India and 1 mobile oxygen production and filling plant is here and 13 German Technical Personnel have come to India for installation and training.
A consignment of Remdesivir and monoclonal is coming soon, and German agency would soon organize a webinar on virus sequencing with Indian technical team. Also, procurement from private German companies is being made – this includes 24 oxygen transport tanks which are procured from the German company Linde by Tata, and Oil India Corporation Limited is procuring four oxygen tanks from German company Albatross.
8 oxygen generators, 28 ventilators, 200 electric syringe pumps, 28 AFNOR/BS Flexible tubes, 500 anti-bacterial filters, 500 machine filters, 500 related patient circuits, have arrived.
8 Novair Premium RX 400 Hospital Level Oxygen Generators is capable of providing yearlong O2 for 250 beds. These world class generators would make 8 hospitals oxygen autonomous for 10+ years.
The relief material was received by the Indian Red Cross Society. It has been confirmed that “4 out of 8 hospital-level oxygen generators will be installed in four hospitals based in Delhi. The balance of 4 are going to hospitals which have been identified by the government already.”
Meanwhile … IAF continues to airlift tankers
Overseas: Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs are airlifting 450 Oxygen Cylinders from Brize Norton, UK to Chennai Air base.
According to the IAF, a C-17 Globemaster III flew a continuous sortie of 12 hours from Air Force Station Hindan to Frankfurt, Germany on May 2, 2021.
The aircraft flew out of Frankfurt-Hahn Airport after taking 4 empty cryogenic oxygen containers, and has landed back today (May 3, 2021) at Air Force Station Hindon.
Criss-crossing across the country:
IAF C-17s have airlifted 2 cryogenic oxygen containers from Chandigarh to Bhubaneswar; 2 from Jodhpur to Jamnagar; 2 from Hindan to Ranchi; 2 from Indore to Jamnagar; and 2 from Hindan to Bhubaneswar.
It has airlifted 1 cryogenic oxygen container from Hindan to Ranchi; 2 from Chandigarh to Ranchi; and 2 from Agra to Ranchi.
2 empty cryogenic oxygen containers from Chandigarh to Bhubaneswar have been transported by the IAF.
PM praises the role of armed forces in fight against COVID-19:
Referring to a write up by Shri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri, titled “Fighting the Invisible Enemy: MoD’s Response on COVID-19 Surge”,the Prime Minister said in a tweet:
'Jal', 'Thal' and 'Nabh'...our armed forces have left no stone unturned in strengthening the fight against COVID-19. https://t.co/JOcRRrhJgR
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2021
Since 2020 , when the pandemic started , Indian army has been doing its best to support frontline workers and fight against this pandemic. Some notable contribution of Indian army since Feb 2020 are listed below:
· February 2-18: 248 Indian male citizens, mostly students, were evacuated from Wuhan and quarantined at Manesar Army Wellness Facility.
· Feb 27 to March 12: 124 people evacuated from Diamond Princess Cruise liner in Japanese waters and quarantined at Manesar Army Wellness Facility.
· March 11 onwards: 83 people evacuated from Italy and quarantined at Manesar Army Wellness Facility. These included six citizens of Indian origin from Italy and three citizens of Indian origin from US. 82 were discharged after testing negative while one positive case was referred to Safdarjung hospital in New Delhi.
· March 15 : 236 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran and quarantined at Jaisalmer Army Wellness Facility, the army’s largest such facility. Out of these, 19 were COVID positive and were admitted at AIIMS Jodhpur. Nine of them have since recovered. Nearly two battalion strength of troops vacated their living accommodation to assist in establishing these national-level facilities for the people of India.
· March 16: 53 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran and quarantined at Jaisalmer Army Wellness Facility. Three of them tested COVID positive and were admitted to AIIMS Jodhpur.
· Mar 18: 195 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran and quarantined at Jaisalmer Army Wellness Facility. 22 of them tested COVID positive and were admitted to AIIMS Jodhpur.
· March 25: 277 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran and quarantined at Jodhpur Army Wellness Facility.
· March 29: 275 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran quarantined at Jodhpur Army Wellness Facility.
Capability Enhancement to Help Civilians:
Several Army Wellness Centres established to handle likely surge in civilian cases of COVID-19.
Three dedicated COVID hospitals for civilians with a total capacity of 490 (extendable to 590) to be set up by April 20 at Barrackpore, Shillong and Likabali.
Four Quick Reaction Medical Teams have been kept ready.
As many as 1200 Battlefield Nursing Assistants trained to augment medical resources at 300 per Corps.
Seven COVID response teams with personnel from Engineers and Army Medical Corps. Decontamination operations being carried out at Tawang, in Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China.
Around 1000 masks and 30 personal protective sets being manufactured each day by Regional Ordnance Depots for hospitals in the entire Eastern Command Theatre.
Two doctors and two paramedics were initially sent to Narela isolation camp to assist civil medical set up. Process of taking over of complete screening facility by Army commenced from April 7. Its current strength is four Medical officers and 18 support staff.
Distribution of Essential Items:
Provision of food packets at locations in Bengaluru, Delhi, Jammu, Changlangla (Assam Rifles), Kolkata, districts in Assam, Baramulla, Mokokchung (Assam Rifles), Akhnoor, Wellington, Coonoor and Tiruchy.
Provision of medical items such as PPE, masks and hand sanitisers in Bengaluru, Anantnag, Kulgam, Kupwara, West Kameng (ALP), PHC at Srinagar and Akhnoor.
Volunteers from Indian Army donated blood to assist Civil Blood Banks to maintain blood stock levels.
Multi-pronged campaign to reach out to people in remote and rural areas of J&K and educate and assist them.
Civic-military interaction to fight COVID-19 held at Bhagatpura, Srinagar.
Continuous efforts being undertaken by Chinar Corps, making announcements to ensure social distancing & distributing health advisories.
Assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries:
13-21 March: Medical team comprising five doctors, two Nursing Officers & seven Paramedics deployed in an advisory role to assist the Male govt to set up its domestic COVID protection measures.
April 11: Eight Medical Officers and seven Paramedics deployed for capability development of Kuwaiti government and setting up of Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machine for testing.
Medicines and medical equipment being provided to the Nepal government.
Other Medical teams are on standby for deployment to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
Military starts recalling retired medical staff for Covid-19 relief as crisis worsens
Medical officers who retired more than two years ago have also been requested to make their services available for consultation through medical emergency helplines, the PMO said in a statement after the CDS briefed the PM who reviewed the military’s preparations to assist in Covid-19 management.
At a meeting held on April 20, defence minister Rajnath Singh asked the military to explore the possibility of utilising the services of vaccinated retired military personnel to help the civil administration and state governments to deal with the health crisis.
An Important Note !
Though the frontline workers and Indian army are working with all their blood , sweat and tears , the past few months have seen a lot of political rallies , religious gatherings , protests and vacations.
Its very important to understand that it is the responsibility of each and every citizen to take as much precautions as possible , follow the guidelines and be at home because COVID deaths are just some numbers until it reaches your home!!
COVID-19 has exposed the harsh reality of the fragility of the system . The system ha not collapsed but has been exposed completely in these tough times . In the midst of increasing death tolls days by day , people are struggling with ventilators and oxygen cylinders . Many youths on social media have started several campaigns to help the needy and to amplify the resources as much as possible . The best we can do from our side is to be careful and stay at home.
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