The Indian Army has so far only been operating out of quarantine camps set up by the armed service for coronavirus patients.

New Delhi: A medical team from the Army was deployed at the Narela quarantine camp in Delhi Friday where some of the coronavirus-infected patients from the Tablighi Jamaat eventare being kept. This is the first time the armed service has been deployed at a civil centre set up to handle the coronavirus cases.

So far, the Army’s doctors and specialists have only been operating out of the quarantine centres set up by the force.

Defence sources said none of the quarantined people misbehaved with the Army medical team after reports emerged that some Tablighi Jamaat members refused to cooperate and even harassed civil medical teams.

“This deployment consists of two doctors and two nurses. They are accompanied by a protective unit as per standard operating procedure,” said an Army source.

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

Health ministry requests for Army team

Another source said that the deployment was made at the request of the health ministry after the Delhi government appealed for it since there was a lot of pressure on the civil medical teams.

The armed forces have already been directed to augment medical resources for civil health set-ups too.

Currently, there are six quarantine facilities being run by the Army — Mumbai, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Hindon, Manesar and Chennai — at which 1,737 people have been treated. Of these cases, 403 patients have been released.

The Army is also preparing dedicated Covid-19 facilities, including high-dependency units and intensive care unit beds, at 51 Army hospitals. Some of these facilities are located at Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Dundigal (near Hyderabad), Bengaluru, Kanpur, Jaisalmer, Jorhat and Gorakhpur.

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

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 5

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has called up the son and the nephew of former Hazoori Ragi Bhai Nirmal Singh, who died of Covid last week, to extend his condolences. He also assured them of the government’s support in the treatment of family members, who have tested positive for the virus.

All Covid patients would be provided proper care in line with the government’s medical protocol, the Chief Minister assured Bhai Nirmal Singh’s son Amiteshwar Singh and nephew Jagpreet Singh.

The Health Department would monitor their progress, he said, and asked them to contact him in case they needed any assistance. Capt Amarinder also enquired about the well-being of the members of the family who had tested positive.

The Chief Minister termed as “unfortunate” the delay in ragi’s cremation because of unfounded fears of Verka village residents. “I have ordered authorities that no such incident should take place again,” he said.

Capt Amarinder said he had asked the Chief Secretary and the DGP to ensure that health and other officials at the district level complied with government instructions and take action against those found violating instructions.

Taksalis hit out at govt

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) president Ranjit Singh Brahmpura on Sunday criticised the Capt Amarinder Singh government for alleged negligence in the treatment of Bhai Nirmal Singh. In the four-minute audio clip, which is being circulated, Bhai Nirmal Singh is heard telling his son Amiteshwar Singh about the poor facilities in the isolation ward and that he may not survive. “The Health Department’s preparedness for Covid has been exposed,” Brahmpura said in a statement. The former MP added, “Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should order an inquiry into the ragi’s death.” TNS

He said that the army, navy and air force have moved into action by dedicating 17-18 hospitals to care for the infected, and the total bed capacity in the forces has been ramped up to 15,000 so far.

ndia’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat believes that India must break the Covid-19 virus chain by April 14, through the lockdown and social distancing, or be prepared to weather the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

“The military dictum is ‘prepare or perish’, but in these times of Covid we have refined it to ‘prepare or suffer’. We must arrest the spread of the virus through a 100% lockdown and social distancing by April 14. With the harvesting season around the corner, India cannot afford the numbers to go up. The military is totally prepared to stand up to the demands made by government and the people,” Gen Rawat said in a phone interview.

Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic

He said that the army, navy and air force have moved into action by dedicating 17-18 hospitals to care for the infected, and the total bed capacity in the forces has been ramped up to 15,000 so far. “We have hospitals ready even in far-off places like Dimapur and Zakhama in Nagaland, even though the virus has not spread in North-east India. We have now two to three hospitals ready in each zone to treat, manage and control the infection,” he said.

Also Read: Coronavirus: How world reached a million cases in 93 days

The CDS said that the military and its doctors were constantly in touch with the Union health ministry, and he, as secretary of military affairs, was attending meetings with PK Mishra, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, and cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba.

Gen Rawat said that one ward in each hospital, including places such as Delhi where the base hospital is normally crowded, will be dedicated for Covid-19 patients. “We have created isolation and quarantine facilities in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Jhansi to accommodate 500 patients each for treatment, to add to the capacity of para-military facilities, such as the one in Manesar,” he said.

The single-point military advisor to the government said that since army, navy and air force schools are closed due to the lockdown, the premises can be prepared as quarantine centres. “We have three army public schools, one navy school and one air force public school in Delhi. It has been decided that these schools should be made ready to be made quarantine centres, if required. Even though the capacities of these schools is about 1,500 patients each, only 200 will be put up in each school due to proper sanitation requirements. The same model is being readied in other parts of the country if there is a requirement, or in a worst-case scenario.”

Also Read: Covid-19: What you need to know today

Gen Rawat also said that the defence ministry has made an important change in the procurement manual by allowing advance payments to be made to the manufacturers of medical equipment such as ventilators, masks and protection suits. “We have already placed an order of 370 ventilators with the DRDO {Defence Research and Development Organisation} and are asking ordnance factories also for manufacture of masks and PPE {personal protective equipment} suits. The power to make advance payments has been given to director generals of armed medical services, army commanders, corps commanders and brigade commanders so that there is no shortage of any medical supplies, both for troops and the public,” he said.

The CDS also said that two naval medical ships were ready to help neighbouring countries in case of a medical emergency. The air force, which recently flew a 14-member team to the Maldives, is prepared to ferry medical supplies in and out of the country.

Although Gen Rawat is optimistic that India can contain the virus, he is “keeping his fingers crossed” and hoping that “social distancing, lockdown, and the Indian summer heat” will end the threat.

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 5

From providing medicines and ration to getting their wheelchairs fixed and taking them for a health check-up, the UT police have come to the service of senior citizens in all possible ways during the lockdown.

Understanding the need for keeping in touch with the elderly, especially when there are restrictions in the city, police personnel started making calls through the control room on March 31 and till April 5, 4,480 senior citizens were called up of whom 2,328 attended their calls. The police said 105 of them sought police assistance.

UT SSP Nilambari Jagdale said senior citizens had sought help for delivering medicines, ration, vegetables and fruits. “A Sector 21 resident also asked to get her wheelchair repaired,” the SSP said.

She said the SHOs concerned were being apprised of the need and they were doing the needful on priority.

The police said a few senior citizens were also taken for a check-up to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, besides banks and ATMs to withdraw money. “We will continue providing assistance to them in future as well,” the SSP said.

“We are taking special care of senior citizens who are staying alone,” the police official said.

The police are also making calls to pregnant women to ensure their well-being. “Those in need can call the emergency number 112 for assistance and we will send our team for help,” said a police official.

New Delhi: India has delivered 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines and hospital consumables to Maldives, which were stuck due to the 21-day coronavirus lockdown in the country.

The consignment was airlifted to Male by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 aircraft Wednesday as part of ‘Operation Sanjeevani’.

These medicines and consumables were procured by Maldives’ State Trading Organisation (STO) from eight different suppliers in India.

A statement from the Indian embassy in Maldives Thursday said that due to the lockdown in India to contain the spread of Covid-19, the consignment could not be transported to Maldives by the suppliers through any other means.

So, at the request of the Maldivian government, the IAF aircraft lifted these medicines from the airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Madurai, and flew them to Maldives.

The Indian Army facilitated the transport of these medicines and consumables from warehouses across India to the respective airports.

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

Medicines included influenza, cancer drugs

The medicines included influenza vaccines, anti-viral drugs such as lopinavir and ritonavir (which have been used to treat Covid-19 patients in other countries), medicines for cardiac conditions, kidney ailments, hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, allergies and cancer treatment.

The consignment also included anticonvulsants and consumables such as catheters, nebulisers, urine bags and infant feeding tubes.

India had on 14 March gifted 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines to Maldives to deal with coronavirus.

India had also sent a 14-member Covid-19 Rapid Response Team of doctors and specialists to enhance Maldives’ preparedness. The team has come back after providing necessary training and help.

The IAF, meanwhile, Wednesday said it has transported around 25 tonnes of essential medical supplies from Delhi, Surat, Chandigarh to Manipur, Nagaland and the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The medical supplies included personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitisers, surgical gloves, thermal scanners, the IAF said in a statement, adding that medical personnel are also being taken from one place to another using their aircraft.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 5

From evaluating the technical parameters of missiles and explosives, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) here has switched its expertise and in-house innovation to develop personal protective gear for the medical fraternity in the nationwide fight against COVID-19.

As many as 10,000 full face protective shields and 15 acrylic enclosures for examining infected persons are being produced by TBRL for the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Research and Education (PGIMER) here.

“The face shields are single use as well as multiple use type while the lntubation protective enclosure can be used multiple times,” Dr Manjit Singh, Director TBRL said. “We are making about a 100 face shields and 3-4 enclosures each day,” he added.

An important Defence Research and Development Organisaltion (DRDO) establishment based in Chandigarh, TBRL is involved in development, production, processing and characterisation of different high explosive compositions, fragmentation studies of warheads, captive flight testing of bombs, missiles and airborne systems and ballistics evaluation of protective system like body armour, vehicle armour and helmets.

The face shields are light weight and can be worn full day with comfort. Commonly available A-4 size transparency sheets used in overhead projectors are being used as visors while the holding frame is manufactured through Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), commonly known as 3-D printing. Polylactic Acid filament, a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane, was used for 3-D printing.

The enclosures were requested by PGIMER’s Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care to act as first level of protection for doctors and medical staff during the intubation of COVID-19 patients. This is a process in which a tube is inserted into the patient’s mouth to keep the airway open so that the patient can be placed on a ventilator.

Made of perspex sheets the transparent enclosure is a cuboid that covers the patient’s face and upper chest, with two holes on one side through which a doctor has insert his arms to work. Medical professionals are at elevated levels of risk of infection as virus particles can become aerosolised during intubation.

Mass production of the products is planned using injection moulding technique to expedite the process. Industrial partners are also being developed to meet the possible demands from neighbouring states. Being a research laboratory, in-house production in TBRL is limited.

Dr Manjit said that TBRL is also making hand sanitizers for the Chandigarh Police using base compositions developed by the DRDO. The requirement is for 6,000 bottles of 500 ml and 1,200 bottles have already been supplied. TBRL was to get the sanitizers bottled from a commercial plant in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, but the area has been sealed-off due to the death of an infected person. Alternate measures are being explored.

In addition, TBRL is also acting as a facilitator for the procurement of bio-suits developed by another DRDO lab for use by health care service providers. A walk-through disinfection tunnel, which is placed at the entrance to a building or complex, is also being evaluated at TBRL. Developed by Research Center Imarat, Hyderabad, the tunnel is equipped with sensors to assess body parameters, air showers and disinfectant sprays. It has the potential of being deployed at any public place or office complex.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 2

Taking a tough stand on the issue in the light of the Nizamuddin incident, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday completely prohibited all gatherings, including religious, in the state. He said the state government would impose a total ban on all congregations, irrespective of the religion involved.

He said he would talk to Akal Takht Jathedar. He also directed the Chief Secretary to discuss the matter with the SGPC, in view of the upcoming Baisakhi festival.

The Chief Minister also ordered 21-day quarantine for all those who had returned to the state from Nizamuddin (Delhi) since January and asked the police and administrative officials to move aggressively to track, trace and isolate all such people. He directed the police and health officials to constitute special teams to track and follow up on those who had returned to Punjab from Nizamuddin.

Capt Amarinder was discussing and reviewing the current situation through a video conference with DCs and other senior officials of the civil administration and police department.

Meanwhile, DGP Dinkar Gupta said some 200 persons from Punjab had visited Nizamuddin and returned at different times, with 12 districts believed to be affected. They were being tracked, along with some from others states who had come to Punjab for Tabligh Jamaat work.

Health Secretary Anurag Aggarwal informed the Chief Minister that the department had so far received a list of 125 such persons.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 5

The army on Sunday deferred till June 30 the release of personnel who had opted for premature retirement and were earlier scheduled to hang up their boots in the next two months.

“In view of the fight against #COVID19, SOS dates for all Pre-Mature Retirement of #IndianArmy officers extended till 30 June 2020. Individual letters to all will be issued after lockdown period,” a tweet by the Additional Directorate General Public Relations stated. SOS means ‘struck off strength’.

The moves comes in the wake of a nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19 that has mandated reduced staff strength in government offices so that only essential services are maintained.

Retention of personnel till the situation returns to normal also addresses the issue of manpower requirements in case of any exigency. The Army has come up with a blue print to recall veterans to augment its strength if required.

The Armed Forces personnel are also engaged in combating COVID-19 pandemic. While the Air Force is constantly ferrying critically required medical supplies and emergency equipment to far flung areas, the forces are also running quarantine camps for travellers who have returned from abroad and providing medical teams and support to civilian authorities. The forces are also on the standby to assist civilian administration in maintaining law and order and undertake internal security duties if the need so arises.

Armed Forces personnel can opt for premature retirement if they are superseded or on medical and compassionate grounds if they have completed the minimum required service for grant of pension. A detailed policy and comprehensive instructions exist on the subject. According to sources, about 50,000 personnel have opted for premature retirement in the past five years.

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 29

Under the initiative by the SGPC to send back home outstation tourists who got stranded due to curfew restrictions, around 60 tourists belonging to Jammu and Kashmir returned through special buses on Sunday.

SGPC senior vice-president Rajinder Singh Mehta said two buses left for J and K today. “Our buses would drop them at Jammu only. However, those from Kashmir valley would make their own arrangement from there. The passengers were made to sit at a distance from each other as per the directions of the health department. Besides, the buses were also sanitised and the passengers too were provided with hand sanitisers”, he said.

Earlier, the SGPC had sent tourists to Delhi and Haryana in five buses. Similarly, four buses were flagged off for Shahjanahpur (UP) and Bathinda too. The buses also ferried the stranded tourists at Delhi for various parts of Punjab.

At present, various tourists from Tata Nagar (Gujarat), Mumbai and Bihar too were accommodated in various inns of the SGPC.

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, April 5

Curfew has been imposed in parts of Varanasi following the death of the state’s third Covid-19 positive case detected posthumously and discovery of another positive case on Sunday.

Confirming this, Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said curfew had been imposed in Madanpura, Lohta, Gangapur and Bajardiha areas after Covid-19 positive patients were found.

A 55-year-old shopkeeper from Gangapur died at Banaras Hindu University’s Sir Sunderlal Hospital on April 3 while his report confirming his disease came a day later on April 4. He was a patient of high blood pressure and diabetes.

He had visited Kolkata, following which he fell ill on March 27 and was admitted to the hospital.

The first death in Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College hospital of a 25-year-old Basti resident last Sunday was also confirmed after his death.

A woman resident of Varanasi’s Bajardiha area who had returned from Saudia Arabia on March 15 also tested positive on Sunday after which all these localities have been sealed.

Lucknow Cantonment next to the Sadar Bazaar area has been cordoned off barring even soldiers after 12 persons living in a mosque in Sadar Bazaar tested positive. They had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month.

According to Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey, as soon as they received the news of the 12 positive cases, the area was turned into a sterile zone to prevent the virus spread.

Only military medical teams, quick response teams, emergency MES services and essential services would be allowed, said chowki incharge of Lucknow Cantonment PK Gupta.

Additional chief secretary Avanish Awasthi said of the 1,499 people who had been identified in UP for attending Delhi’s Tablighi Jamaat meeting around 138 have tested positive so far.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath interacted through video-conferencing with the state’s elected representatives and 377 religious leaders from all districts of the state asking them for suggestions on how to prevent crowding once the lockdown is removed on April 15.