Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria told the minister that air force planes have transported about 25 tons of medical supplies within the country in the last five days. Officials added that in the last three days, these supplies were airlifted from Delhi, Surat and Chandigarh to Manipur, Nagaland and the union territories of J&K and Ladakh

NEW DELHI: About 25,000 National Cadet Corps cadets and retired military health professionals have been readied to provide assistance to the government to tackle the coronavirus outbreak in India, even as the Chief of Defence Staff and Army Chief on Wednesday said that over 9,000 services hospital beds have been made available and 8,500 doctors and support staff are on standby.

The developments were shared by the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DG AFMS) Lieutenant General Anup Banerji, who is responsible to the government for the overall medical policy relating to the forces, and CDS General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General M M Naravane to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who reviewed the defence ministry’s assistance to fight COVID-19 through video conference. Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh also informed Singh that naval ships are on standby to extend any assistance.

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria told the minister that air force planes have transported about 25 tons of medical supplies within the country in the last five days. Officials added that in the last three days, these supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand sanitisers, surgical gloves, besides medical personnel, were airlifted from Delhi, Surat and Chandigarh to Manipur, Nagaland and the union territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Singh appreciated the efforts being made by the forces, organisations and Defence PSUs for evacuation, health care in quarantine facilities, and research and production of medical equipment such as sanitizers, facemasks and PPE. “He directed all the organisations to redouble their efforts and work in close coordination with other ministries and organizations of the Central Government in this crucial time,” a defence ministry statement read.

The DG AFMS, who heads the Armed Forces Medical Services (of the army, air force and navy), told Singh said that necessary equipment has been procured and dispatched to various hospitals. “Retired health professionals (read as military) have also been kept in readiness to volunteer their services. Approximately 25,000 National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets are being mobilised to provide necessary local assistance,” the ministry said.

The CDS informed Singh that separate hospitals have been identified to exclusively deal with COVID-19 and “more than 9,000 hospital beds have been made available”. Over 1,000 evacuees are quarantined at facilities in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chennai, Manesar, Hindan and Mumbai. Their quarantine period will ‪end on April 7.

Naravane informed the minister that, “more than 8,500 doctors and support staff are available to extend necessary assistance to civilian administration,” adding that assistance to Nepal by providing medical equipment will be delivered shortly.

The IAF, on its part, is regularly airlifting COVID-19 test samples from the Union Territory of Ladakh to Delhi. For this, C-17, C-130, An-32. AVRO and Dornier aircraft are being tasked. Medical care to Indian citizens evacuated from Iran and Malaysia is being provided at Air bases at Hindon and Tambaram.

Meanwhile, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy informed Singh that 50,000 litres of sanitizers made by DRDO labs were supplied to different security entities, including Delhi Police, while another one lakh litres were supplied across the country. Reddy said that a five-layered nanotechnology face mask N99 is being made on a war footing. “10,000 have already been made and soon their per day production will be extended to 20,000. DRDO labs have also supplied 40,000 other face masks to Delhi Police. Another DRDO laboratory has also made arrangements to make 20,000 PPE per day,” the ministry said.