Army's Western Command sets up three 100-bed hospitals for COVID patients in Chandigarh

Picture credit: PTI

Chandigarh: To assist state governments in the fight against coronavirus, the Army's Western Command has set up three 100-bed hospitals in Chandigarh, Faridabad and Patiala.

These hospitals have been set up under the Indian Army's ‘Operation Namaste’, launched in March this year to insulate the 1.3 million-strong force from coronavirus and extend all possible assistance in containing the pandemic.

Lieutenant General R P Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief , Western Command, on Monday announced the operationalisation of the first 100-bedded COVID Hospital at a hostel for international students in Panjab University. Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator V P Singh Bandore was present on the occasion.

The other 100-bed facilities have been set up at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College in Haryana's Faridabad and Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, Punjab.

These will be made operational on May 11 and 12, respectively, a defence release said here.

Lieutenant General R P Singh highlighted the efforts put in by both the Indian Army and the civil administration in the early operationalisation of these hospitals.

He assured governments of both states and the Chandigarh Administration of support in the fight against COVID 19.

These hospitals have been set up on a war footing, having the capacity to accommodate and treat mild to moderate patients, the release said.

The Army's Western Command has deployed its doctors, nursing officers and paramedics for a holistic treatment of patients as per ICMR guidelines, it said.

The civil administration is facilitating essential amenities, service management, uninterrupted oxygen supply and ambulance services at these hospitals.

The admission to these hospitals will be open to all citizens and coordinated by chief medical officers (CMOs).

Patients requiring higher grade of treatment will be shifted to other hospitals, coordinated by the CMO as per availability of ICU facilities.

In a recent virtual meet between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Lt Gen RP Singh, the CM had shared his concerns over the rising COVID cases, especially in 
the major cities of Punjab and had sought the Western Command's assistance to manage the crisis.

The Army Commander, as per the release, had assured the chief minister of all possible assistance within the institutional capacity of the Western Command.

Consequent to the virtual meet with the Punjab chief minister and requests received from other states, the Western Command had said it is in the process of setting up various COVID-related facilities.

Apart from contributing 108 doctors, 14 nursing officers and 205 paramedics in various hospitals set up by the DRDO, the Western Command had earlier said it will also be setting up 100-bed COVID hospitals at Chandigarh, Patiala and Faridabad.