This Is How Indian Navy, Air Force And Army Are Helping Fight The COVID-19 Crisis
Amid the raging COVID pandemic in Delhi, the Indian Army has created COVID facilities on a war footing. Besides providing extensive medical assistance to veterans and their dependents, Military Hospitals (MIL) are now providing assistance to the civil administrations.
Operation CO-JEET
The armed forces have launched 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.
"Under the CO-JEET" plan, personnel of the three wings of the armed forces ¨C the Army, the Indian Air Force and the Navy ¨C have been pressed into service to help restore oxygen supply chains, set up COVID beds and provide help to the civilian administration in its fight to control the pandemic," said Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) Lieutenant General Dr Madhuri Kanitkar.
Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment (BHDC)
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.
Now, on priority basis, the plan has been 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 ¨C 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.
COVID tele-consultancy??
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.
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.
Airlifting supplies, tankers
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 landed back on May 3, 2021 at Air Force Station Hindon.
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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.
