Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Monday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him about the measures taken by armed forces to tide over Covid-19 crisis. The CDS said that all medical personnel retired from armed forces in last two years will work in COVID-19 facilities near their residence.
He added that nursing personnel are being employed in large numbers to complement doctors at hospitals. Besides, oxygen cylinders are also being made available with armed forces in various establishments will be released for hospitals. The CDS also said that they are creating medical facilities in large numbers and where possible military medical infrastructure will be made available to civilians.
"They reviewed preparations & operations being undertaken by the Armed Forces to deal with the COVID19 pandemic," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
The Prime Minister also reviewed the operations being undertaken by the Indian Air Force to transport oxygen and other essentials in India and abroad, the PMO said.
The government said that armed forces are creating medical facilities in large numbers and military medical infrastructure will be made available to civilians where ever possible.
India's health infrastructure has been buckling under pressure with an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks. The country's coronavirus cases hit a new record on Monday with 3,52,991 new cases, along with 2,812 deaths.
READ MORE: Centre bans use of liquid oxygen for all non-medical purposes as Covid-19 cases spiral
READ MORE: India records single-day rise of 3.52 lakh new COVID cases; 2,812 fatalities