Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reviewed Covid-19 preparations and operations being undertaken by the Armed Forces to deal with the pandemic.
The Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat briefed Modi that all retired medical personnel from armed forces who have retired in the last two years are being recalled and deployed to work in Covid facilities in the proximity of their present place of residence.
Other medical officers who retired earlier have also been requested to make their services available for consultation through medical emergency helplines.
The Prime Minister was also informed that all medical officers on staff appointments at Command headquarters, Corps headquarters, Division headquarters and similar headquarters of Navy and Air-Force will be employed at hospitals.
PM was also told about the preparations made by the armed forces to help the country fight against the virus. The CDS informed that oxygen cylinders available with the military will be turned to the hospitals that urgently require the live-saving gas amid the rapidly spreading second wave of Covid infections. Armed forces are building medical facilities in large numbers and where possible military medical infrastructure will be made available to civilians.
PM Modi also reviewed the operations being undertaken by IAF to transport oxygen and other essentials in India and abroad.
He also discussed with the CDS that Kendriya and Rajya Sainik Welfare Boards and Officers posted in various headquarters in veteran cells may be instructed to coordinate their services to extend the reach to the maximum extent possible including in remote areas.
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India has been reporting more than 3 lakh daily Covid cases and on Monday, 3.52 lakh fresh cases and over 2,800 deaths were recorded in 24 hours. Because of the extreme pressure from the daily rising covid cases, the country’s health infrastructure has come to the brim of collapse. A massive shortage of beds in hospitals, medicines and medical oxygen has been reported in the worst-hit states.