Army establishes COVID management cell for coordinating assistance to civil authorities

New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI): The Army, which has deployed considerable medical resources to assist civil authorities in the fight against COVID-19 and is providing medical care to veterans and their dependents, has established an COVID Management Cell under a Director General rank officer to coordinate multiple facets of staffing and logistics support.

A Defence Ministry release said that the COVID Management Cell reports directly to the Vice Chief of Army Staff.

It said Indian Army has been at the forefront of COVID response at the national level.

"While the Army has ensured own force preservation, medical care to veterans and their dependents, it has also deployed considerable medical resources to assist civil authorities especially at the five COVID hospitals already functional or in the process of being established at Delhi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna," the release said.

"In order to coordinate multiple facets of staffing and logistics support, an exclusive COVID Management Cell under a Director General rank officer has been established which reports directly to the Vice Chief of Army Staff.

"This will bring in greater efficiency in coordinating real time responses to address exponential rise in COVID cases across the country including Delhi where assistance to civil administration in the form of testing, admissions in military hospitals and transportation of critical medical equipment are already being provided," it added. (ANI)