Extending all out support in the national effort to fight coronavirus pandemic, the Army is now managing the Narela quarantine here. It is one of the biggest centres in the country to look after corona patients and now has nearly 1,300 people in its care. In a similar endeavour, the Navy is looking after people of Karwar in Karnataka and its hospital INS Patanjali, at present, is treating nine corona positive.
Giving details of the army efforts, officials said here on Sunday the force has taken over the responsibility of managing the Narela quarantine centre in Delhi during the day from April 16. An Army medical team was deployed at Narela centre since April 01 to assist the civil administration.
“From April 16, the Army has taken the initiative to manage the facility from morning 8:00 am to evening 8:00 pm relieving the Delhi Government Doctors and medical staff to manage the facility only during the night. The Army team comprising of 40 personnel which includes six medical officers along with 18 paramedical staff have volunteered to stay within the premises only,” the Army said.
Presently, 932 members who attended a religious congregation in Nizamuddin area in Delhi are being taken care at the facility out of whom 367 have tested COVID-19 positive, the Army stated.
The inmates have been very cooperative and positive to the Army medical team, thereby, facilitating smooth handling of all medical procedures, the Army said adding there is tremendous synergy with the civil administration to run this entire facility. The Narela centre was established by the Delhi Government in the middle of March.
Narela Quarantine Centre in Delhi is amongst the largest centres in the country for managing the COVID suspects. Initially, 250 foreign nationals arriving from friendly foreign countries were kept in this centre. Later an additional strength of approximately 1,000 more were brought here from Nizamuddin Markaz. The professional approach of the Army Medical Team has won the hearts of inmates, who have been very cooperative and positive to the Army Medical Team, thereby, facilitating smooth handling of all medical procedures., officials said.
Chief of Defence Staff(CDS)General Bipin Rawat had visited the camp some weeks back to boost the morale of the army team and assure the local administration of all support by the armed forces.
Similarly, the Indian Naval Hospital Patanjali at Karwar has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, by treating the patients from the Uttara Kannada district.
Acting on a request from the Karwar District Administration upon announcement of nation-wide lockdown on 25 Mar 20, Patanjali was prepared in every aspect within 24 hours to receive the first group of COVID-19 positive patients on 28 Mar 2020. A team of three doctors, nine medical staff alongwith and nine support staff has ensured 24 x 7 care to the nine COVID-19 positive patients admitted thus far.
Out of the nine patients admitted at the hospital, eight have been cured and discharged so far. With the discharge of these eight patients over last few days, the hospital is now attending to a lone patient admitted on April 16 who is also responding favourably to the treatment.
In view of this additional responsibility, INS Patanjali has made alternate arrangements for routine medical attention to the large population of service personnel and families dependent on the hospital.