Srinagar, 12 May 2021. Since beginning of COVID 19 pandemic in Mar 2020, Chinar Corps of Indian Army has been contributing to the efforts of the civil administration and the citizens to combat COVID in UT of J & K. In this second wave of COVID, various activities are being undertaken by Chinar Corps across length and breadth of Kashmir, notably amongst them are reactivation of 250 bedded Dedicated Covid Care Center at Rangreth, establishing two 20 bedded facility with High Dependency Units in Baramulla and Uri. Some more such facilities to treat COVID patients are in advance stages of planning and are being established at different places.
Ex-servicemen of the three services have volunteered to be COVID warriors and 127 such veterans from UT of J & K have reported to augment the existing manpower of civil administration, this includes 27 medics. They have been divided in teams of ten each and have already reported to their respective district collectors. A total of 1412 Ex-servicemen have volunteered and will be deployed as per requirement.
Boosting the COVID infrastructure in Kashmir, Indian Army is pooling in the oxygen cylinders available with Army establishments to be made available to civil administration to be used in augmenting the existing oxygen supply of Kashmir. Ration and COVID kits are also being distributed among the people belonging from humble background and people from Gurjar / Bakharwal community in forward areas. The army medics have also augmented the UT government efforts for vaccination drive in forward areas.
Army is regularly organising Khairiyat Patrols, where local Army establishments are sending patrols along with nursing assistants to the villages & distributing medicines, masks, sanitizers, PPE kits & other items, which are essential to fight the COVID pandemic. More than 50 such activities are taking place daily in Kashmir. This pandemic is a national challenge and all must jointly work to combat this challenge.
