Military gears up for COVID-19 battle
On Wednesday, the first day of the 21-day countrywide lockdown that PM Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a military facility in Jodhpur received 277 Indian evacuees flown in from Iran and placed them in quarantine for 14 days.
The military has already housed over 1,200 patients so far in temporary medical facilities at Manesar, Hindan, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. These included evacuees from Wuhan and Japan, who were discharged after observing full quarantine protocol.
“Of the over 1,200 evacuees, medical staff and air crew kept in these facilities till now, only one case of positive COVID-19 has been reported. This does not include another case reported from the IAF facility in Hindan,” stated the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Wednesday.
“In addition to the above, more Army medical facilities at Jhansi, Binnaguri and Gaya are kept at standby with an additional collective capacity of 1,600,” said the MOD.
The military is mobilising to play a central role in holding patients exposed to the virus. Most countries seriously impacted by the virus, including China, Italy and the US, have pressed their militaries into service. In New York City, US Army engineers are converting the city’s main convention centre — the Javits Center — into a 1,000-bed hospital.
The patients quarantined in Jodhpur on Wednesday include 273 pilgrims to Iran, including 149 women and six children. They were transferred on Air India flights from Delhi to Jodhpur and then taken to the medical facility, “which has been designed not just for isolation but also mental and physical wellness, which includes
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Number
Date of commencement
Feb 1 Evacuees from Wuhan, China Quarantine over, all released
Feb 27
Date of release
Feb 18
(5 of them foreigners)
Evacuees from a Japan cruise ship Quarantine over. All released
Feb 27
Medical team and air crew who flew to Wuhan Quarantine over. All released.
Mar 12
Mar 10
Evacuees from Iran
1 patient referred to Safdarjung Hospital Tested negative
Mar 23
Mar 11
Evacuees from Italy
One person referred to Safdarjung Tested positive
Mar 24
Mar 13
Evacuees from Iran
6 referred to Kasturba Hospital Mumbai, all tested negative and brought back to quarantine camp
Mar 26
Mar 15
Evacuees from Iran
3 patients at isolation wards in 15 AFHS*
Mar 16 Evacuees from Iran
Mar 18 Evacuees from Iran
Mar 25 Evacuees from Iran
various activities including sports”, said the MOD.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has set up a quarantine camp at Vishakhapatnam, which is fully equipped to quarantine nearly 200 persons. In addition, the Navy has set up isolation facilities at its premier hospital, Indian Navy Hospital Ship (INHS) Asvini, at Mumbai.
The naval base at Kochi, which houses the Southern Naval Command headquarters,
Mar 28
Mar 29 *Air Force Hospital
is coordinating with Kerala health officials and Ernakulam district administration to use civilian hotels/resorts as quarantine facilities for Indian nationals, says the MOD.
The Ordnance Factory Board, which produces arms, ammunition and equipment for the military, has separately designated 285 beds as quarantine facilities.