A different war but same army – How Indian Armed Forces are fighting COVID-19 battle
New Delhi: Since the outbreak of the deadly Corona virus in Wuhan, China, Indian Air Force, Army, Navy and Ministry of Defence have proactively worked to evacuate Indian people from the Covid-19 affected countries China, Iran, Italy and Japan and quarantined them at their facilities to release after mandatory isolation. From February 1 - March 20, the Air Force has evacuated well over 1000 people (including five foreigners) and quarantined them at their facilities/bases in Manesar, Hindon, Ghatkopar, Mumbai and Jaisalmer.
Besides, the Indian Navy has set up a quarantine camp at INS Vishwakarma in Vishakhapatnam - fully equipped to hold nearly 200 personnel. The Naval base, Kochi under Southern Naval Command (SNC), is gearing up to provide quarantine facilities for Indian nationals. The SNC is also actively coordinating with the Kerala state health officials and Ernakulam district administration to explore the feasibility of provisioning civil hotels/resorts for quarantining. Besides, all Army Hospitals have been kept on alert to meet any eventuality.
On March 26, the SNC took a slew of measures in consultation with the state Government and Naval Headquarters, including setting up 10 teams of Battle Field Nursing Assistants (BFNA) in Kochi, comprising of non-medical personnel to help medical staff should the situation arise. Such BFNA teams are being readied at all other stations under SNC as well. Separate Corona Care Centre facilities for another 200 service personnel and families has been created for any eventuality affecting service personnel. The CCC will be administered by a dedicated group of officers and personnel and a separate Medical Care Centre of Indian Navy doctors and nursing staff.
In addition to the active quarantine centres built and run by the Armed Forces, more facilities readied to be made operational within 48-72 hours - if needed, are at Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Dundigal, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Jaisalmer, Jorhat and Gorakhpur.
The Director-General, Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) Lt Gen Anup Banerji said 28 Service Hospitals had been earmarked as COVID-19 hospitals, which will include Armed Forces as well as civilian patients transferred from state health authorities, in case they are overwhelmed. He added that as of now, there are five hospitals across Army, Navy and Air Force which can carry out COVID-19 tests and six more are being readied. The DG AFMS added that isolation wards at peripheral hospitals have been activated at Army formations along Line of Control and Line of Actual Control.
On the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the DG AFMS said, it is a challenge at a national as well as global level, adding that advisories for rational usage of PPE kits had been issued to the Services. "The AFMS is presently geared up with adequate PPEs for use in our hospitals. Additional procurement is also being planned to tide over crisis foreseen during the coming weeks and months since the Armed Forces have been directed to augment medical resources for the civil health set up also," he added.
A 14-member team of medical officers and paramedical staff of Army Medical Corps was sent to the Maldives for capacity building measures and assist in setting up their own testing, treatment and quarantine capacities. He added that other assistance for other countries will be provided as and when required. Also, on March 27, a shipment of 60,000 face masks ordered by Indian Medical Association, Goa to offset the shortfall there was stuck in Delhi as trucks could not proceed further in view of the lockdown. An Ilyushin 38SD (IL-38), a Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft of the Indian Navy, was promptly readied to depart INS Hansa for Palam Airport on March 27, which delivered the masks to Goa authorities the same day.
Further, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been working relentlessly to completely replace the Daporijo bridge, the only lifeline of Upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh, to restore lines of communication for all 451 villages and security forces located along the China border. 23 BRTF (Border Roads Task Force) of Project Arunank, are working in full swing despite the dilapidated state of the existing bridge. Meanwhile, in Northern India, BRO is engaged in snow clearance operations on the Manali - Leh axis day and night to provide relief to Lahaul valley and Ladakh. The Rohtang Pass and Baralachala Pass are currently being tackled by four snow clearance teams.
Meanwhile, the Cadet Corps has issued guidelines for temporary employment of its cadets to augment relief efforts and functioning of various agencies involved in battling the pandemic. The tasks envisaged for NCC cadets include, manning of helpline/call centres; distribution of relief materials/medicines/ food/essential commodities; community assistance; data management and queue and traffic management. Only Senior Division volunteer cadets above 18 years of age will be employed in small cohesive groups of eight to 20 under the supervision of a Permanent Instructor Staff or/and an Associate NCC Officer.
Moreover, in Punjab, an organisation called 'Guardians of Governance', comprising 4,200 ESM, are assisting in data collection from all the villages. Chhattisgarh government has employed some ESM to assist the police. Similarly, in Andhra Pradesh all the District Collectors have asked for ESM volunteers. In UP, all Zila Sainik Kalyan Adhikaris are in touch with District Control Rooms and retired Army Medical Corps personnel have been identified and kept ready.
As of April 3, the IAF has airlifted approximately 60 tonnes of medical equipment and essentials to various parts of the country. 28 fixed wing and 21 helicopters are on standby at various locations across the country. Six naval ships are kept ready for assistance to neighbouring countries. Five medical teams are also on standby for deployment in Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
