With around 50,000 COVID-19 cases daily, India is healing from the disastrous second
wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when India reported more than 4 lakh cases a day at
its peak. In India's war against the virus, the armed forces of India played a crucial role.
The Army, the Indian Air Force and the Navy all came together to lead India's fight
against COVID-19.
The Army set up a cell to coordinate with the civil administration regarding assistance
work related to COVID-19. The cell was monitored by the Vice Chief of Army Staff. The
main aim of setting up the cell was to bring efficiency in coordination regarding staffing
and logistics and responses to address the surge of COVID-19 cases across the
country. The Army established COVID-19 facilities and hospitals at various cities across
India; army doctors and paramedics were also involved to provide assistance at these
facilities. Medical staff of the army was made available to various state governments,
military medical infrastructure was made available for the civilians, army hospitals were
opened for civilians where ever possible oxygen was released from armed forces
reserves to hospitals.
On April 23 defense minister Rajnath Singh sanctioned a delegation of emergency
financial powers to Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS). Director General Medical
Services (DGMS army, navy and air force) were given powers to spend upto 5 crores,
doctors with the rank of Major General and equivalents could spend upto 3 crores and
those with the rank of Brigadier and equivalents could spend upto 2 crores to expedite
procurement of medical items and provisioning of various services for treatment and
management of COVID-19.
On April 30 emergency financial powers were granted to the armed forces which helped
the Formation of Commanders to establish and operate quarantine facilities and
hospitals, undertake procurement and repair of equipment, items, and materials. These
powers further help provisioning of various services and works to support the efforts
against COVID-19. Division commanders and sub area commanders and their
equivalent could spend up to ₹20 lakh per case, corps commanders and area
commanders could spend up to ₹50 lakh each and vice chief of armed forces and army
commanders and their equivalents in navy and air force have full financial powers.
The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) deployed additional doctors, including
specialists, super specialists and paramedics, at various hospitals. Additional
contractual staff were temporarily hired in 51 high-pressure ECHS polyclinics for night duty for three months to support the veterans and their dependents. Short Service
Commissioned Doctors of AFMS were granted an extension till December 31, 2021.
Health professionals who recently retired from AFMS were re-deployed and they were
mostly engaged in teleconsultation of issues related to COVID-19 operationalised by
DG AFMS.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out sorties from various countries and different parts
of India. Oxygen containers, cylinders, medicines and critical equipment required for
setting up and sustaining COVID hospitals and facilities were airlifted. Transport aircraft
C-17, C-130J, IL-76, An-32 and Avro were used and Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters
were on standby to meet emergency requirements. C-17, C-130J and IL-76 were used
to airlift empty oxygen tankers from their place of use to the filling stations across the
country to cater the requirement of oxygen in the country. C-17 and IL-76 transported a
large quantity of load comprising bio safety cabinets and autoclave machines for setting
up of an additional COVID test facility at Leh.
Operation CO-JEET
Operation CO-JEET was launched by the armed forces to aid anti COVID-19 efforts.
The main goal of the mission was to strengthen medical infrastructure and oxygen
supply chains, increase beds and hospitals and to take measures to ensure the mental
well-being of people and raise awareness about mental health. "Under the CO-JEET"
plan, personnel of the three wings of the armed forces – the Army, the Indian Air Force
and the Navy – 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.
Operation Samudra Setu II
Operation Seth was launched by the Navy last year to bring back stranded Indian
citizens from the neighboring countries. In April Indian Navy launched Operation
Samudra Setu II to meet the oxygen requirements. According to PIB “seven Indian
Naval ships viz. Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat were
deployed for shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and
associated medical equipment from various countries." These ships were used to bring
containers and medical supplies from Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries.
On May 5, the first consignment was brought in to Mangalore by the INS Talwar from
Bahrain.
Indian Navy deployed OXYGEN EXPRESS to help the island territories of India. Navy
ships under Headquarters, Southern Naval Command at Kochi helped the local
administration of Lakshadweep and other islands with medical supplies like oxygen
cylinders, Rapid Antigen Detection Test (RADT) kits, Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE), masks and other items. Air Evacuation Pods were developed by the Naval
Aircraft Yard, Kochi to airlift COVID-19 patients from the Islands. Other efforts by the
navy include refilling empty cylinders and sending naval contingents with doctors and
medical assistants. Naval Air Station INS Garuda was placed on alert to extend Naval
airfield facilities for UTL helicopters ferrying patients. Naval hospitals were also used to
help the civil administration in tackling the COVID-19 surge.
Cantonment General Hospitals, maintained by Cantonment Boards, extended
necessary medical assistance and services to everyone approaching them. Thousands
of beds were made available by Cantonment Boards, Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment
along with 900 oxygenated beds, also operated tele-consultancy services handling
more than a thousand calls daily. Apart from this, the defense PSUs, Ordnance Factory
Boards and DRDO also played an important role in setting up hospitals and COVID-19
facilities, increasing oxygen supply, setting oxygen generation plants, opening their
medical facilities for the civilian population. The timely response and coordinated efforts
of armed forces helped the country during the exponential rise of the COVID-19 cases
during the second wave.
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