Centre seeks IAF's intervention in COVID-19 relief operations

The IAF has started airlifting big oxygen tankers from their place of use to the filling stations across the country to speed up the distribution of much-needed oxygen in the hour of crisis.

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NEW DELHI:

Amid the scarcity of oxygen supply in hospitals across the country, the government has sought the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for airlifting essential medical supplies across the country.

The defence forces are stepping up and the IAF is being used to enhance the speed at which the supplies are to be delivered to the states.

The IAF has started airlifting big oxygen tankers from their place of use to the filling stations across the country to speed up the distribution of much-needed oxygen in the hour of crisis.

On April 22, the IAF airlifted COVID testing set up load to Leh for the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.

IAF C-17 aircrafts airlifted two empty Linde cryogenic oxygen containers and another IL-76 aircraft airlifted one empty Inox container to Panagarh in Durgapur.

The Armed forces Medical Services (AFMS) has also decided to import oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany to cater to the shortage of oxygen being witnessed in many hospitals of New Delhi.

The IAF will be airlifting 23 mobile oxygen generation plants from Germany and they will be deployed in AFMS hospitals catering to COVID-19 patients within a week.

Besides the above relief efforts by the IAF, the Ministry of Defence is also giving an extension to Short Service Commissioned Doctors in AFMS till Dec 31, 2021, to tide over the current surge in medical services. This will augment the strength of AFMS by 238 more doctors.

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