Fighting Coronavirus: At a time when India has been reeling under Coronavirus pandemic, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), G Satheesh Reddy today said it has produced around 70 Made in India products to fight the novel Coronavirus, news agency ANI tweeted. Reddy further said that DRDO can manufacture 25,000 ventilators each month if required. He also said that the organisation is ready to export these ventilators as well.
The statement has come at a time when DRDO has created a temporary 1000-bed COVID hospital that consists of 250 ICU beds in Delhi Cantonment area. The facility has been made with the assistance of Tata Sons in 11 days at the Air Force land near the IGI airport in Delhi and is set to be operated by Armed Forces Medical Services, PTI reported. The facility is also expected to be fully air-conditioned.
Reddy told ANI that the hospital is now equipped with all the facilities for Coronavirus patients and will treat them free of cost. The services will be provided 24×7 by Army personnel in the area. The hospital has been made by levelling and clearing garbage dumping land.
The facility was inaugurated on Sunday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh alongside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy. The home minister said PM Narendra Modi is committed to help the people living in Delhi at a time when the number of COVID-19 cases has been surging every day.
Meanwhile, DRDO has also decided to name the COVID wards in this facility after the Indian Army troops who have lost their lives in the clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Galwan valley. According to the organisation, around 2,000 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), as well as Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel (including doctors), have been directed to manage operations at these hospitals.
