Monthly Archives: August 2018

New Delhi: The Army has initiated Covid-19 testing in their hospitals as India gears up to test more people amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to senior Army officers, five Army hospitals have been conducting testing of Covid-19. These facilities are Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Command Hospitals in Udhampur, Lucknow, Bangalore, and the R&R Army Hospital in Delhi.

The decision in this regard came earlier this month, Army sources said.

The move comes at a time when the country — with just 52 government laboratories — clearly lacks adequate testing facilities.

With the rising number of confirmed cases, India has already expanded Covid-19 testing to private labs and asked every state to earmark at least one hospital to treat coronavirus patients.

The Indian Council of Medical Research, the country’s apex health research body, has put out a series of guidelines for Covid-19 testing in private laboratories.

Also read: Military’s isolation camps on standby, Army ready to deploy facilities to fight COVID-19

Army to be trained to fight Covid-19

Sources said Army personnel are being nominated for training in various reputed medical institutes across the country, such as the National Institute of Virology, Pune, PGIMER, Chandigarh, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, and AIIMS in New Delhi to be better prepared to deal with the pandemic.

The Indian Air Force, meanwhile, has designated the Command Hospital Air Force, Bengaluru, to conduct Covid-19 testing.

“To monitor the prevailing situation and provide immediate response and assistance as required, a 24×7 crisis management cell has been set up at Air Headquarters and various Command Headquarters. IAF aircraft are continuing to fly in medical supplies and doctors to Leh and flying out blood samples for Covid testing to Chandigarh and Delhi,” an IAF statement read.

The Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE) in Gwalior has also started conducting tests for Covid-19.

The DRDE, which is a part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is the nodal lab for the development of chemical-biological defence technologies.

Army issues fresh guidelines

The Army Thursday issued fresh instructions on measures required to fight the pandemic.

This included identifying additional infrastructure for setting up of quarantine or isolation centers in each station for the troops, extending the Army’s network of hospitals and laboratory facilities to assist civil administration in areas affected by the novel coronavirus.

The instructions further said a plan should be prepared for sidestepping medical personnel from lesser-affected areas to augment healthcare in severely-affected areas if required, and additional training of the Army’s own medical personnel at various hospitals to be better prepared to fight Covid-19.

The armed forces have put in place over a dozen isolation facilities across the country, of which, five are housing 1,073 people — most of them have been evacuees of different countries.

ThePrint had earlier reported that the military has put in place strict drills to stop coronavirus from getting into its bases, which included disallowing entry of civil contractual staff and staggered office and meal timings.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday met Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General M.M. Naravane, IAF chief Air Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria and Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh to review the action plan of the Defence Ministry with regard to dealing with Covid-19.

Also read: Indian Air Force cancels Services Selection Board interviews amid coronavirus outbreak

New Delhi: The Indian military has identified six more of its hospitals to carry out Covid-19 tests and earmarked 28 other facilities across the country to exclusively deal with the outbreak.

ThePrint had earlier reported that five Army hospitals have been conducting Covid-19 testing.

Speaking to ThePrint, Lt General Anup Banerji, DG Armed Forces Médical Services (AFMS), said, “As of now, there are five hospitals across Army, Navy and Air Force which can carry out Covid-19 test using RT-PCR. Six additional hospitals are also being equipped shortly with the resources to begin testing.”

The military is also in the process of procuring additional personal protective equipment (PPE) to tide over the crisis. The armed forces have been directed to augment medical resources for civil health set-ups too.

Lt General Banerji also said the Armed Forces Medical College has initiated four research studies on coronavirus.

“The findings of these studies will be shared with all other departments. This will hopefully help better understanding of the coronavirus,” he said.

The top medical officer also pointed out that the National Institute of Virology is working on a vaccine for the coronavirus.

Also read: India ramps up Covid-19 assistance to SAARC nations, team set to leave for Nepal

‘Have adequate PPEs for use in hospitals’

The military’s move comes at a time when the country — with only 52 government laboratories — clearly lacks adequate testing facilities.

Asked if the military hospitals are equipped with enough PPEs, Lt Gen Banerji said their availability was a challenge, both at the national and global levels.

“The rational usage of PPEs is very crucial and we have issued necessary advisory to that effect to the services. We, as AFMS, are presently geared up with adequate PPEs for use in our hospitals,” he said.

Asked about medical precautions being taken along the Line of Control with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control with China, the Army officer said isolation wards at peripheral hospitals at these formations have been geared up.

“Intensive information, education and communication campaigns are going on for serving personnel. Leave extension of those on leave as well as curtailment of leave to bare minimum have been imposed. Segregation facilities have been set up to observe troops already back from leave from various states,” he said.

As of now, the Army has reported one case of coronavirus, a 34-year-old jawan in Leh whose father had travelled to Iran.

“He was on leave at his home in Leh, taking care of his father who had returned recently from Iran and suffering from Covid-19. The soldier has made an uneventful recovery,” Banerji said.

Also read: 3 US Navy sailors test positive for Covid-19 aboard aircraft carrier with crew of 5,000 

Powers have been given to Army commanders, area commanders, sub-area commanders to spend on work related to setting up of quarantine facilities & other services.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has granted emergency financial powers to Army commanders, corps commanders as well as division or sub-area commanders to expedite procurement related to establishing and running quarantine facilities, among other things, to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Army commanders will have the full financial powers, while corps commanders or area commanders can spend Rs 50 lakh, and division commanders or sub-area commanders can spend Rs 20 lakh on work related to setting up of quarantine facilities in their respective jurisdiction, according to the ministry’s Friday letter addressed to Army chief General M.M. Naravane.

The finances, which would be met from the defence budget, would include augmenting the isolation facilities with items, materials, equipment, stores, ration, hygiene chemicals, among others, as well as provision of other services needed for effective handling of Covid-19 outbreak.

In the letter, the defence ministry said the powers have been delegated for a period of three months from 27 March, and can be revised or extended, if need be.

Also read: It is war. Modi govt must deploy Indian military to fight coronavirus

Powers applicable in cases of military necessity

The ministry’s letter said the emergency powers have been delegated under “Schedule 23 of ASP in DFPDS-2016”.

DFPDS stands for Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services and ASP is Army Schedule of Powers.

Schedule 23 of DFPDS-2016 deals with emergency financial powers for procurement of stores, equipment, vehicles, hiring of special services, manpower, machinery or other expenditure connected with exercises or operations.

These powers are applicable in cases of urgent or immediate military necessities relating to military preparedness to meet eventualities such as a war-like situation, natural calamities, etc.

The idea of delegation of these powers is to expedite procurement, repair of equipment, items, material stores and provisioning of services urgently required for a successful operation.

Powers exercised during wars, calamities too

According to Schedule 23, these powers are exercised as and when the government notifies an event through an order declaring war, hostility, natural calamity or disaster or when the defence minister declares and orders military preparedness for emergency or other immediate military necessities.

It will also be applicable as and when a proposal, mooted by the service chiefs, is approved by the defence minister for immediate action to be taken in case of a series of incidents or when the Army is requisitioned for internal security duties.

Procurement powers under various heads vary and are enhanced in consultation with the Integrated Financial Adviser (IFA), who is from the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA).

However, full powers without IFA’s consultation are extended only in emergencies or extraneous circumstances, a senior Army officer said.

Another armed forces officer, meanwhile, told ThePrint that the financial year is coming to an end and it’s unlikely that the forces would have any money left in the military coffers.

He said the grant of emergency financial powers would not mean much on ground unless additional funds are made available to the forces.

These funds, the officer added, could be given from unspent funds of other ministries.

Whenever the military is used for the purpose of helping the civil administration, the expenditure is raised to the central government to reimburse the amount spent in that connection.

This report has been updated to reflect the correct full-form of the abbreviations IFA and CGDA

Also read: There is a reason India turned to Armed Forces Medical Services when it came to coronavirus

New Delhi: The Army has made a composite list of all those who retired in the last two years for possible recall if the need arises to fight the war against coronavirus.

Army sources said they are focusing on all those with medical expertise and specialised technicians.

The military has a system of recall by which it can ask all those who retired in the last two years to rejoin the forces and offer their services.

These kind of recall measures have been put in place as part of the steps to be taken in times of war.

“We have made a composite list. This basically focuses on those with medical backgrounds and those with technical expertise who can be recalled if the need arises,” a senior Army officer told ThePrint.

He added that the Commands have the required details of all these individuals.

“It is not that everyone will be recalled. It all depends on the need. For example, if there is a requirement in Chandigarh, a person from Kerala would not be recalled,” the officer said.

Retired personnel yet to be contacted

Asked if retired personnel have been sounded out, the senior officer said, “No, they have not been contacted. A two-year period of recall is something that every officer, JCO and jawan is aware of. Whenever a situation emerges, they know they could be called back.”

While initially, the military’s help was limited to just setting up quarantine centres for those evacuated from abroad, the government has started roping them in more in the fight against Covid-19.

The Indian military has identified six more of its hospitals to carry out Covid-19 tests and has also earmarked 28 other facilities across the country to exclusively deal with the outbreak.

Speaking to ThePrint, Lt General Anup Banerji, DG Armed Forces Médical Services (AFMS), had said that armed forces have been directed to augment medical resources for civil health set-ups too.

The military is also conducting four research projects on the coronavirus.

Also read: It is war. Modi govt must deploy Indian military to fight coronavirus

The latest cases have come over 10 days after an Army jawan in Leh tested positive for Covid-19 to become the first its victim in the 13-lakh strong force.

New Delhi: An Army doctor holding a Colonel rank posted with the Command Hospital in Kolkata, and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) posted in Dehradun have tested positive for Covid-19 as the outbreak spreads through the country.

Both Army personnel don’t have any foreign travel history. However, both had visited Delhi during their leave period before returning to their respective locations earlier this month.

The latest cases have come over 10 days after an Army jawan posted in Leh tested positive for the virus to become the first victim of the disease in the 13-lakh strong force. He has successfully recovered since.

Also read: Overcrowded Agra jail releases 71 inmates accused of theft, robbery amid coronavirus scare

‘Following protocols’

Army sources said the coronavirus test reports of both the Colonel and the JCO arrived Sunday. Both had shown symptoms earlier this week and were immediately quarantined according to the protocols established.

The Army doctor, a 52-year-old anesthetist with the Command Hospital, had travelled to Delhi on 10 March and returned on 17 March. He reported fever since 24 March, said sources.

The JCO had a travel history from Delhi to Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on 25 February and from Jhunjhunu to Chakrata in Uttarakhand on 10 March. He developed fever on 21 March, said the sources.

It was not immediately clear if the two personnel had interacted with anyone in Delhi who tested positive later.

“We are following the protocols and putting all those who came in touch with them in quarantine,” said an Army officer who didn’t wish to be named. He added that the immediate family members had been already alerted and necessary protocols issued.

The coronavirus outbreak has been a major concern for the military – Army, Air Force and Navy. The three Services have issued their respective protocols to ensure that the virus does not spread among the ranks.

The Indian military has identified 11 of its hospitals to carry out Covid-19 tests and earmarked 28 other facilities across the country to exclusively deal with the outbreak that has now infected over 1,000 people in India.

With inputs from Madhuparna Das.

Army advisory says not disclosing Covid-19 symptoms, travel details or contact with suspected patient will be treated as ‘willful concealment’ & breach of discipline.

New Delhi: Soldiers failing to disclose possible Covid-19 symptoms, their travel details to an identified hotspot or even about their contact with a suspected patient will be tried under the Army Act, 1950, “for breach of discipline”.

An advisory issued last week by the Adjutant General’s branch stated that Army personnel should disclose to their superiors — either during rolls calls or during medical screening — if they have Covid-19 symptoms such as cough, throat pain, fever, breathing difficulties, their possible contact with any Covid-19 patient, friend or relative while on leave or temporary duties, or about their travel to a Covid-19 hotspot as identified by the government.

The advisory states that concealing any such information will put other troops in harm and thus the act will be treated as “willful concealment” and dealt with under the Army Act for breach of discipline.

The advisory comes at a time when India is facing a 21-day lockdown and the government is trying to control the Covid-19 outbreak with 942 cases in the country as on Monday morning.

Recently, the Kerala government suspended Kollam Sub-Collector Anupam Mishra who had jumped home quarantine after coming back from a holiday in Singapore. The 2016-batch IAS officer and his wife had left for his hometown in Uttar Pradesh without informing the district collector and health authorities, who had advised them to remain home quarantined for two weeks.

Army sources said any such non-disclosure of information related to the pandemic is likely to be tried under Section 42 (e) of the Act that deals with neglect to obey any general, local or other order. Concealing of venereal diseases is also tried under the same section, since the offence is not contracting a disease but concealing it, an Army source said.

Defence sources said the Navy and the Air Force, too, could take a similar decision soon.

Also read:Army starts Covid-19 testing in its hospitals, issues fresh guidelines to fight pandemic

Leaves to be regularised, soldiers to join nearest base after 15 April

Since the Covid-19 outbreak in India, leaves of military personnel have been extended up to 15 April. The advisory says the leave until this period will be regularised as per further directions.

It also states that personnel, after the extended leave period, will report to the nearest military station headquarters or unit if they do not have the means for authorised travel to their own units, and will be considered on duty. They will, however, need to be tested first.

The advisory also states that command headquarters will identify locations for setting up transit facilities for housing suspected Covid-19 personnel and establish travel arrangements at various points.

As per the advisory, troops kept in quarantine will be regarded as “on duty”. It also advises veterans to disclose their possible contact with any dependent or other family member who would have returned from a coronavirus-affected area.

As reported by ThePrint, the military has been following stringent drills to prevent coronavirus from entering its bases, from restricting entry of civil contractual staff to staggered attendance and meal timing of soldiers to prevent crowding.

The Army has reported three positive cases of coronavirus infection so far. The first case of Covid-19 was a 34-year-old jawan in Leh, following which the Army had quarantined all soldiers and colleagues of the jawan attached to the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre.

On Sunday, an Army doctor posted with the Command Hospital in Kolkata and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) posted in Dehradun tested positive for Covid-19.

n interview to ThePrint, Rawat also says Quick Reaction Medical Teams (QRMTs) have been readied to mobilise at short notice to meet the requirements of civil administration.

New Delhi: The armed forces are ready to operate beyond the stated mandate and assist the nation in the fight against coronavirus, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat has said, adding that this would not affect their operational capability.

His remarks in an interview to ThePrint come at a time when the government is increasingly utilising the resources and expertise of the Army, Air Force and the Navy to fight the coronavirus outbreak that has led to a nationwide lockdown of 21 days.

“We would like to emphasise that our main objective now is nation first – ‘Har Kaam Desh ke Naam‘,” he told ThePrint.

Gen Rawat further said the armed forces are mandated to provide assistance to civil authorities whenever requisitioned. “But we have decided to operate beyond our mandate and provide all kinds of assistance that we can provide, even if it causes inconvenience to our people, without compromising on health and hygiene issues,” he said.

The CDS, who is spearheading the military’s response to the challenges posed due to coronavirus, said the armed forces are in constant liaison with civil administration so that if there is additional requirement of assistance, they are able to respond effectively.

Asked specifically if the military should be deployed more in the war against coronavirus, he said, “Armed Forces are ready to operate beyond the stated mandate and assist the nation in the fight against coronavirus”.

Also read: It is war. Modi govt must deploy Indian military to fight coronavirus

Services strictly adhering to guidelines

Gen Rawat also said that the Services are strictly adhering to all instructions and guidelines being disseminated by the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Health and its own medical authorities.

“Viruses do not distinguish a person in uniform from others, however, our personnel follow a disciplined regime and hence are less likely to be affected,” he said.

He said the Services have taken various measures like curtailing movement by cancellation of courses of instructions, restrictions on leave, work from home wherever feasible, social distancing and ensuring proper health and hygiene of all personnel and families.

This will help in preventing the spread of the virus.

Asked if the virus has impacted operational preparedness, he said the Service Chiefs are aware of their roles and tasks in maintaining operational preparedness at all times.

“This is their primary responsibility,” he said.

Medical infrastructure to be augmented

Gen Rawat also said necessary instructions have been communicated to augment medical facilities and infrastructure including increasing the capacity for surveillance and isolation facilities at military hospitals.

“Services hospitals have been kept on standby for establishing Covid-19 hospitals in high infection identified areas. Responsive and agile Quick Reaction Medical Teams (QRMTs) are ready to mobilise at short notice to meet the requirements of civil administration.

“Also, services of military hospitals and laboratories are extended to assist civil administration on requisition,” he said.

The CDS underlined that there is excellent synergy between all organs of the government and the three services are geared to deal with any challenge arising out of the current Covid-19 situation.

“It is important to follow guidelines that will prevent the spread of the virus amongst our citizens. Mass movement of people from areas that are witnessing higher numbers of infected people, to the lesser affected regions, will only compound the problem,” he said.

He added that under such conditions, one must appreciate that it is not business as usual.

“Everyone has to be prepared for some inconvenience that is caused due to imposed restrictions, for our safety and well being,” he said.

With cities in lockdown, the vulnerable women are left with no choice but to knock on the doors of one or the other hospital till finally they are referred to Chandigarh

Amid curfew in the districts adjoining Chandigarh, pregnant women are having harrowing time as an already burdened health infrastructure deals with the pandemic. While cities are locked down, these women are being forced to travel from one government hospital to another only to be referred to Chandigarh.

Writhing in labour pain, Jaspal Kaur, a 31-year-old pregnant woman, reached a health centre in Kurali at 3am on March 25, only to be referred to Kharar at 9am because, apparently, “the doctor had not arrived”. At 1pm, she was referred again to the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital in Sector 16 citing “blood level is too low”.

Requesting the authorities “not to refuse them at the last moment, Kaur said, “We have great trust in you, but when the time (of delivery) comes, you ask us to leave and find another hospital. Amid such circumstances, it becomes difficult to make arrangements last moment.”

Breaching all precautionary measures to be taken against coronavirus infection, a 25-year-old Sarita Devi was made to wait outside an ESI hospital in Baddi for four hours as the hospital reluctantly agreed to arrange for transporting her to Chandigarh. This, after the hospital staff earlier refused to attend to her, citing “non-availability of labour inducing drug”.

Tired and on the verge of a breakdown, Sarita said, “My delivery was scheduled for today, but at noon I was asked to go to Chandigarh. I waited till 4pm outside the hospital and it was after much reluctance that they arranged for an ambulance.” It was learned that the doctor there was unavailable.s

Similar was the case of Neetu Devi of Bulongi, Mohali, whose delivery was scheduled at Mohali civil hospital, but she was referred to Chandigarh at the last moment. Rinky, a 30-year-old pregnant woman, was referred from Dera Bassi civil hospital to Mohali, and from there to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and yet again to Mohali, She finally came to GMSH-16.

ADMISSIONS TO LABOUR ROOM HALVED

In January, there were 195 referrals from three districts—Mohali (130) , Ropar (64) and Fatehgarh Sahib (1)—and in February, the number was 135. In the last 10 days, the hospital has seen 40 referrals, out of which 26 are from Punjab.

“Amid curfew, it becomes difficult for families to look after patients and newborns. They have to make frequent visits to the hospital,” she said.

PREGNANCY AND CORONA

“According to the guideline issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, pregnant women are equally at risk just like the normal population. There is no documented evidence of transmission from mother to baby in the womb and neither via breast milk,” Dr Kang said.

She advised pregnant women to restrict going out, maintain social distancing, take good diet and multi-vitamins and do moderate exercise.

“Due to the pandemic, they should avoid routine check-ups, and visit hospitals only in case of emergencies like labour pains, bleeding or leakage. If you are suffering from dry cough and sudden onset of high grade fever, you should visit a healthcare facility immediately,” she said.

MP Ravneet Singh Bittu has given Rs 1 crore to the district health department out of his MPLADS funds to buy medical equipment.

The department has decided to purchase 51 infrared thermometers, 5,100 PPE kits, 2.1 lakh triple-layer face masks, 38,250 latex gloves, 4,250 litre sanitiser, six X-ray machines, 20 oxygen cylinders, 20 wheelchairs and 20 stretchers