With the surge in COVID-19 circumstances impacting hospital facilities and oxygen-supported beds, 3 naval hospitals beneath Western Naval Command (WNC) – INHS Jeevanti, Goa, INHS Patanjali, Karwar and INHS Sandhani, situated in Mumbai have set aside a handful of COVID oxygen beds for use by the civil administration.
According to the Indian Navy, these facilities which are situated inside the naval premises are going to provide standard amenities for migrant labourers, so that they are not compelled to proceed to their hometowns.
Also, the naval authorities are in normal communication with civil administration and prepared to provide any COVID contingency help.
Similar arrangements have been made at Karwar which will provide relief to almost 1,500 migrant labourers by supplying vital products, rations and standard healthcare.
INHS Patanjali, which was the initially Armed Forces hospital to treat civilian COVID 19 positive patients in 2021, is now ready to assistance any civilian COVID patients in case there is a want.
In Goa the naval teams which had set up neighborhood kitchens for the duration of the initially wave are prepared to provide comparable assistance when essential. Further, in addition to earmarking some COVID oxygen beds for civilians at INHS Jeevanti, is exploring provision of oxygen to civil hospitals based in case there is any request from the civil administration.
In the Gujarat Naval Area assistance has been provided to the nearby administration for transport of important health-related shops/ gear to the COVID impacted places. And, also for setting up of neighborhood kitchens for the poor and other technical assistance as could be necessitated.
INHS Asvini in Mumbai has readied composite teams for deployment at quick notice, and this involves health-related and non-health-related persons who have been educated as Battle Field Nursing Assistants and will man hospitals getting set up for COVID care in distinct components of the nation beneath the path of DGAFMS.
Naval personnel vaccinated
All the naval hospitals are catering to the vaccination service of the personnel and their households, as also the defence civilians. And plans are getting thought of to administer the vaccine to these who full 18 years as on May 1, 2021.
IAF criss-crossing the nation and the globe airlifting O2 tankers & health-related personnel
On Thursday itself, according to the Ministry of Defence, the IAF had carried out 16 sorties from abroad, airlifting 27 oxygen containers with 460 MT of capacity.
From neighbouring nations, on Thursday, the IAF’s C-17s have airlifted 3 cryogenic oxygen containers from Singapore to Panagarh and 6 from Dubai to Panagarh. And, in addition a C-17 also airlifted 3 containers from Bangkok to Panagarh Air base. On Friday transport aircraft are in Singapore to airlift oxygen containers.
From inside the nation C-17s have airlifted 2 cryogenic oxygen containers from Chandigarh to Bhubaneswar, 1 from Indore to Jamnagar, 4 from Hindon to Ranchi, 4 from Mumbai to Bhubaneswar, 2 from Chandigarh to Ranchi. They have airlifted 2 containers from Bhopal to Ranchi, 2 from Lucknow to Ranchi and 2 containers from Jodhpur to Jamnagar.
In addition IAF C130 airlifted Navy health-related group personnel from Mumbai to Ahmedabad today and have been deployed for airlifting of 75 oxygen cylinders from Baroda to Hindan.
Global assistance
More than 40 nations have come forward to present help in whichever capacity feasible and these contain Europe, Gulf area, Mexico, Finland , the UK, France, Romania, Australia, New Zealand and Guyana which are situated geographically additional away.
Around 550 oxygen producing plants are getting sourced from neighborhood groups, governments, corporates and private folks.
The consignments coming in contain 4,000 oxygen concentrators and more than 10,000 cylinders.
Developing nations like Bangladesh have announced that it will send 10,000 anti-viral vials, 30,000 PPE kits, and a number of thousand zinc, calcium, vitamin C and other needed tablets in the next handful of days. The neighbouring nation is getting tapped for Remdesivir, an crucial drug.
Egypt is anticipated to send 4 lakh doses and also some stocks are anticipated from Uzbekistan and the UAE.
Vaccine Cooperation beneath QUAD
According to the Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the vaccine cooperation beneath ‘Quad’ (Japan, Australia and the US) is going on “very well”. Also, extra capacities of vaccines are getting designed and at the domestic level.
Help from Romania
Eighty oxygen concentrators, 75 oxygen cylinders and 20 higher-flow oxygen therapy gear from Romania arrived in the early hours on April 30. These have been gifted by the Government of Romania by means of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The help was sent by Romania’s Department for Emergencies, by means of its Foundation for Emergency Response (SMURD Foundation), which mobilized in only 48 hours some substantially required health-related gear. And it was sent on board a military transport aircraft which was provided by the Romanian Defense Ministry.
In an official statement issued by the Embassy of Romania in New Delhi, Romanian Ambassador to India Daniela Sezonov Tane says, “Our solidarity manifested during this unprecedented critical moment for the Indian people represents another confirmation for Romania’s engagement in strengthening and extending our relation with India. India is a key partner for Romania and the European Union in the Indo-Pacific region, as it was underscored by the EU Council Conclusions from the 19th of April, 2021 dedicated to a strategic approach on Indo-Pacific.”
Romanian health-related supplies are amongst the initially to arrive in New Delhi and will be followed by extra health-related devices and gear shipped by the other European Union Member States, inside UCPM – Union Civil Protection Mechanism, as element of the joint efforts of Team Europe.
USA sends O2 Cylinders and health-related supplies
The other shipment which arrived early in the morning was from the US which carried 423 oxygen cylinders with regulators and speedy diagnostic kits, N95 masks and pulse oximeters and other health-related supplies. These came on a C-5M Super Galaxy and a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The third flight will arrive in India on May 3, 2021.