'Amid Covid surge, defence organisations engaged in mitigating people's sufferings'

New Delhi: The Indian armed forces as well as organisations like Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) are engaged in mitigating the sufferings of the people amid the COVID-19 surge, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. In a blog post on his website, Singh enlisted the steps –including mobilisation of health professionals and setting up of new COVID facilities –taken by the defence ministry's organisations to deal with the surge.

India has been badly hit by the second wave of coronavirus infections and hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds. Singh said emergency financial powers have been granted to the armed forces so that commanders can establish and operate quarantine facilities and procure items that are required to fight against the pandemic.

Various defence organisations such as the DRDO, Cantonment Boards, Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) have established COVID hospitals and facilities in various cities including Delhi, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Patna, he mentioned.

The AFMS has deployed additional doctors, including specialists, super specialists and paramedics, at various hospitals, Singh noted. "My ministry has granted an extension to short service commissioned doctors of AFMS till December 31, 2021, which has augmented the strength of AFMS by 238 more doctors," he said.

Singh also talked about the steps taken by the Indian Army to assist the civil administration to deal with the pandemic.

He said the Army has provided 100 beds each to Lucknow and Allahabad, set up a 40-bedded isolation facility at Sagour in Madhya Pradesh and established a 50-bed isolation facility at Namkum in Jharkhand.

Army medical persons have been deployed at Ahmedabad and Patna, and battlefield-nursing assistants have been provided to the Patiala administration for hospital management, the minister noted.