Western Naval Command gears up to aid civil administration in Covid management
New Delhi, Apr 29 (Bureau) Amid the unrelenting number of Covid cases in the country, the Western Naval Command (WNT) at Mumbai on Thursday said that the three naval hospitals INHS Jeevanti, Goa, INHS Patanjali, Karwar and INHS Sandhani, Mumbai have kept ready a few COVID oxygen beds for civilians. In Mumbai, the naval authorities are in regular communication with civil administration and all preparatory actions have been stepped up to offer any COVID contingency assistance, if requested. Facilities have been set up inside naval premises to provide basic amenities so that migrant labourers are not compelled to proceed to their home towns, a navy official informed.
Similarly, the Naval authorities at Karwar have made elaborate arrangements for supporting nearly 1500 migrant labourers by supply of essential items, rations and basic healthcare. INHS Patanjali, the first Armed Forces hospital to treat civilian COVID 19 positive patients last year, is prepared to receive civilian COVID patients if there is any emergent requirement. Naval teams at Goa had set up community kitchens during first wave of Covid-19 and are prepared to provide similar help as and when required. Further in addition to earmarking some COVID oxygen beds for civilians at INHS Jeevanti, at Goa Naval Area is exploring provision of oxygen to civil hospitals based on any requests received from the civil administration.
Gujarat Naval Area has offered support to the civil administration for transport of critical medical stores/ equipment to the COVID affected areas, setting up of community kitchens for the poor and other technical help as may be necessitated, the Western Naval Command said in a statement today. INHS Asvini at Mumbai has readied composite teams for deployment at short notice, including medical and non-medical persons trained as ‘Battle Field Nursing Assistants’ for manning hospitals being set up for COVID care in different parts of the country under the direction of Director General Armed Forces Medical Services. The WNC Presently, all naval hospitals are catering to the vaccination of service personnel and their dependents as also defence civilians and their dependents as per Union Health Ministry guidelines.