Srinagar
The northern Army Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi on Saturday visited the COVID healthcare facility at Old Air Field Military Station, Rangreth, Srinagar. He was accompanied by the Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen BS Raju.
The 250 bed (Level 1 & Level 2) COVID healthcare facility has been jointly established by Chinar Corps and Civil Administration for the people of Kashmir as part of OP NAMASTE to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, a defence spokesperson said in a statement.
The facility was inaugurated, earlier in the day, by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir P K Pole and GOC 31 Sub Area Maj Gen Raju Chauhan.
The Army Commander was briefed on ground about the various amenities and facilities that have been made available.
While interacting with the staff, Lt Gen YK Joshi appreciated the efforts put in by all stakeholders to establish the healthcare facility in record time and exhorted everyone to continue working in the same synergistic manner towards keeping the people of the Valley safe, the spokesperson said.
“Chinar Corps has converted a new building, with three floors into a state of the art healthcare facility, which is further divided into left, central and right wings. Adequate measures have been taken for ensuring physical containment for preventing any spread of the infection,” Army said. “The facility has high-end equipment for laboratory and X-ray departments. The isolation is based on condition-based admission and continuous care. The planning and designing of the facility has been done based on protocols and guidelines enumerated for a COVID center by the Government of India.”
The facility has a well-equipped 14-bedded ICU and a 32 bedded High Dependency Unit (HDU). Separate wards have been catered for confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19. Adequate measures have been made in the form of a separate zone for accommodating 80 female patients.
The civil administration has committed medical and paramedical healthcare personnel to man the facility and also essential lifesaving electro-medical equipment, the spokesperson said, adding that the building which is capable of housing 250 Army personnel, was converted into a healthcare facility in a record time of 15 days.
“The Chinar Corps has put in concerted efforts to get the facility up to the requisite medical standards in conformity with the stipulated guidelines,” he said.
The facility will not only enable the availability of proper COVID specific medical amenities to the people of Kashmir but will also go a long way in bolstering the capability of joint efforts of the Army and civil administration in combating the pandemic, Army said, adding that “this initiative reaffirms the resolve of the Chinar Corps to protect and ensure the safety of the people”.
“The Rangreth COVID hospital is one of the many initiatives of the Army towards bringing succour to the lives of Kashmiris and is a shining example of synergy and commitment shown by the Army and civil authorities for the people,” the defence spokesperson said.
