As India's COVID-19 situation worsens, the country's Defence forces have stepped up to help ferry doctors, facilitate treatment, airlift oxygen and more. The Indian Air Force on Wednesday night shared pictures of their fleet working to transfer supplies to various part of the country. Earlier this week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had asked the armed forces to leverage their resources and help the civil administrations fight the rising COVID-19 caseload.
"The IAF transport fleet is supporting the fight against Covid-19. Air lift of medical personnel, critical equipment and medicines is underway for Covid Hospitals and facilities across the country," the Indian Air Force tweeted, sharing pictures.
As per an IANS report that quoted sources, the IAF on Wednesday airlifted doctors and nursing staff from Kochi, Mumbai, Vizag and Bengaluru for setting up of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) COVID-19 hospital at Delhi. The force has also airlifted oxygen containers of DRDO from Bengaluru for COVID-19 centres at Delhi.
A roadmap on how military infrastructure can be used to ramp up the fight against Covid-19 was also discussed in a Covid preparedness review meeting chaired by the Minister.
The DRDO had stated that they have set up a Covid hospital on Delhi with 250 beds, and the capacity will be increased to 500 and then 1,000, if required.
Rajnath Singh instructed more fully functional Covid hospitals be set up in Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi and Ahmedabad within 8-10 days and also in other places where required.