Defence minister Rajnath Singh has asked the armed forces and various other establishments of ministry of defence to extend all possible assistance to the state governments and local administration to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The defence minister also reviewed the service being provided by Indian Air Force (IAF) in transporting oxygen tankers and plants from abroad as well as within the country.
He also said that one C-17 IAF transport plane left for Singapore in the morning on Saturday and returned with four containers of cryogenic oxygen tanks.
Moreover, one C-17 IAF transported two empty container trucks for liquid oxygen from Pune to Jamnagar and another transported two empty oxygen containers from Jodhpur to Jamnagar.
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One Chinook airlifted medical equipment for testing Covid-19 from Jammu to Leh.
Indian navy ships have been put on standby for any assistance in transporting liquid oxygen tankers.
Defence Research Development Organization is in the process of adding another 250 beds to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Covid Hospital in New Delhi on Friday.
DRDO has also set up a 1,000 bedded Covid hospital in Gujarat.
These hospitals would be run by Armed Forces Medical Sciences in coordination with the state governments.
Rajnath Singh also approved the suggestion to deploy retired personnel from AFMC in Covid hospitals to boost the manpower of the health sector, which is under tremendous stress to attend to the huge number of Covid-19 patients.
Moreover, all health facilities of Defence PSUs and Ordnance Factory Board will be provide health services to local COVID-19 affected civilian population in times of this national crisis.