Army ups count of oxygen-enabled beds in its hospitals from 1,800 to 4,000

Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane on May 19 said that COVID cases in the army have shown a downtrend after the initial surge. He said that the instructions that Army had passed last year, were again brought into effect this year.

New Delhi: Indian Army has augmented the number of oxygen-enabled beds in its Military Hospitals and Command Hospitals combinedly from 1,800 to 4,000 and equipped its 93 per cent hospitals with own oxygen generation plants in the last six weeks, informed Army Chief General MM Naravane.

"We have done a lot of infrastructural augmentation in the last six months. We have increased the number of oxygen-enabled beds to 4,000 from 1,800 in our Military Hospitals and Command Hospitals combinedly," Naravane told ANI.

"We have also augmented the number of oxygen storage plants from 24 to 42 in them. 93 per cent of the hospitals now have their own oxygen generation plants also," Naravane added.

He also said that as far as force preservation is concerned, all those instructions that had been passed last year were again brought into effect for this year also. The number of cases in the Indian army has also shown a downtrend after the initial surge.

"The situation of COVID-19 within the Army is very comfortable,

The Army chief informed that those going on leave were put hold on this year also like the last year.

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We have also put on hold the regular exercises carried out during this period of the year on the western front. As a result, the number of cases is very few," the Army Chief added.

"Because of the measures put in place, forward troops were not affected by the infection as those coming from leave have to go through three-stage screening before rejoining their unit, either on Line of Control (LOC) and on Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the northern border.

On vaccination drive within the Army, he informed that almost 90 per cent have been fully vaccinated.

"Only .04 per cent of those who contracted the virus after vaccination, which is already very few in numbers, needed hospitalisation," Naravane said.

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On question of ex-servicemen's COVID-19 treatment at Military Hospitals, he said since the hospitals were caught unawares by the sudden wave of the infection they could not match up to the number of cases coming up due to a capacity constraints. And because of this many ex-servicemen, under Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), could not get admission in the hospitals.

"As soon as we came to know of the situation, we sent out advisories and messages saying all Military Hospitals are available to all ex-serviceman for admission and treatment with no discrimination between them and those serving," he added.

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(ANI)