The government has decided to extend the services of short-service commission (SSC) doctors serving in the military to cater to the rising number of coronavirus cases.
The defence ministry on Friday announced that it is extending the tenure of SSC doctors in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) till December 31, 2021 “to tide over the current surge in medical services.”
“This will augment the strength of AFMS by 238 more doctors,” said an official statement.
While hospitals run by the armed forces are primarily meant for soldiers, ex-servicemen and their dependents, the military has opened the doors of its medical facilities to civilians in some parts of the country depending on the availability of beds.
The armed forces and allied organisations are playing an important role in the fight against Covid-19 --- they have set up hospitals, helped ramp up oxygen production, airlifted medical staff and oxygen containers and are liaising with state governments to help them deal with the rising number of daily cases.
On April 20, defence minister Rajnath Singh carried out an extensive review of the preparedness of the armed forces and other organisations to deal with the surge in Covid-19 infections across the country.
At that meeting, Singh asked the military to explore the possibility of utilising the services of vaccinated retired military personnel to help the civil administration and state governments to deal with the grim situation.
{{/usCountry}}At that meeting, Singh asked the military to explore the possibility of utilising the services of vaccinated retired military personnel to help the civil administration and state governments to deal with the grim situation.
{{/usCountry}}The armed forces and other stakeholders have been given the go-ahead to buy medicines and other critical items using their emergency powers.