Army’s desert quarantine largest in India, may get bigger

NEW DELHI: India’s largest military quarantine facility at Jaisalmer, which is currently housing almost 500 people, mostly from Iran, can be expanded, while a dozen additional facilities and military hospitals are being kept on standby, to deal with the evolving Covid-19 situation.

The armed forces have also readied five rapid-reaction medical teams to support Saarc countries.

The desert facility – three of these have been set up in Rajasthan – have meant that two battalion strength of troops have been moved and makeshift arrangements made for Indian’s arriving from abroad for screening and accommodation. The total capacity of the quarantine facilities at Manesar, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur is about 1,600 and India is also keeping forces at standby if request for medical aid arises from neighbouring nations affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

Senior officials have told ET that they are prepared for any eventuality and the capacity of quarantine facilities can be “ramped up” and several military hospitals can be pressed into service to setup isolation wards and critical care centres on a war footing.

“We have standby facilities at Jaisalmer (part of the existing one), Jodhpur of the army, Vishakhapatnam of the navy and Gorakhpur of the air force. If there is a requirement, more facilities can be created,” said Brigadier Anupam Sharma of the Headquarter Integrated Defence Staff, who is the nodal officer for the defence ministry’s efforts to tackle coronavirus cases.

The Jaisalmer facility is the military’s biggest, he said. If a need arises, the entire machinery of the armed forces can be used to support the civil administration in tackling the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

Besides Jodhpur, Visakhapatnam and Gorakhpur, quarantine facilities have been kept ready at Kolkata (army), Chennai (army), Kochi (navy), Dundigal near Hyderabad (IAF), Bengaluru (IAF), Kanpur (IAF) and Jorhat (IAF).

Currently, four quarantine facilities are being run by the defence forces. These are at Manesar and Jaisalmer by the army; Hindon by the air force and in Mumbai, which is being run by the navy.

On help being extended to India’s neighbours, Sharma said: “The Prime Minister has offered the support of rapid-reaction medical teams to Saarc countries. Five such teams are on standby, if there is a requirement.” Officials said such a requisition from a Saarc country could come.