A team of six doctors and eight paramedical personnel of the Army sent to Maldives for setting up a viral testing lab

As part of efforts to assist the neighbourhood in dealing with the COVID-19 situation, India is ready to dispatch a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to Nepal, said Lt. Gen. Anup Banerji, Director-General, Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), on Friday. “Other assistance will be provided as and when required for building up the infrastructural capability and expert manpower to friendly foreign countries,” he said.

India has earlier deployed a team of six doctors and eight paramedical personnel of the Army at Maldives for setting up a viral testing lab for coronavirus.

Jawan recovers

Talking of military personnel infected by COVID-19, he said the Army jawan from Ladakh Scouts who tested positive had recovered. “As of now, we have had one case of serving soldier who tested positive. He was on leave at his home in Leh, taking care of his father who had returned recently from Iran and suffering from COVID-19. The soldier has made an uneventful recovery,” Lt. Gen. Banerji stated.

He said presently there are five hospitals across Army, Navy and Air Force which can carry out COVID-19 test using Reverse Transcription - Polymer Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). “Six additional hospitals are also being equipped shortly with the resources to begin testing,” he added.

The Defence Ministry had stated on Thursday that Army medical teams and two Indian Navy ships were on standby to provide required assistance to friendly countries in the neighbourhood.