Armed forces battle second wave of Covid-19: Mission oxygen, hospitals on war-footing Abhishek Bhalla
Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and a serious oxygen shortage which led to the loss of lives, it was clear that India had landed in an emergency situation that the country had not seen after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Kerala in January 2020.
The government was clearly not ready for a Covid emergency and it was clear that the Centre had to marshal all its resources, including the armed forces, to prevent the situation from going out of control. As the shortage of hospital beds and oxygen in Delhi made headlines, the government was found struggling for solutions.
An IAF aircraft airlifting oxygen containers from Perth, Australia to Chennai. (Photo:Twitter/IAF MCC)
Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and a serious oxygen shortage which led to the loss of lives, it was clear that India had landed in an emergency situation that the country had not seen after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Kerala in January 2020.
The government was clearly not ready for a Covid emergency and it was clear that the Centre had to marshal all its resources, including the armed forces, to prevent the situation from going out of control. As the shortage of hospital beds and oxygen in Delhi made headlines, the government was found struggling for solutions.
As India battels a calamitous second wave of COVID-19, the armed forces are taking a series of measures like recalling doctors and other medical staff from key bases to help civilian authorities deal with the sudden surge in coronavirus infections.