As the number of coronavirus cases inch towards the 2,000 mark in India states and other authorities are ramping up efforts to fight the outbreak. Railways have turned coaches into isolation wards and now the army has come forth with help too. 

The armed forces have 9,000 hospital beds, ready to treat Covid-19 patients. There are more than 8,500 doctors and support staff to provide with necessary assistance to civilian administrations, TOI reports.

Military aircrafts have transported about 25 tonne of medical supplies around the country just in the last three days.

1.5 lakh litres of sanitiser was provided to different organisations by DRDO, which is now making five-layered Nano Technology N99 face masks and PPE (personal protective equipment) on a war-footing. 

Defence minister Rajnath Singh asked the Army, Navy and IAF, DRDO, defence PSUs and Ordnance Factory Board to ‘redouble their work’ in relation to medical care, evacuation, quarantine facilities and production of medical equipment. 

“DRDO has also supplied 40,000 other face masks to the Delhi Police. A DRDO lab has also made arrangements to make 20,000 PPE per day. We also engaged in minor modification of ventilators so that one machine can support four patients at the same time,” TOI quoted DRDO chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy as saying.