Army pushes its line of duty to save lives in times of corona

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 28

The Army is playing a crucial role in fighting the coronavirus pandemic in Jammu and Kashmir and has augmented the government and municipal bodies in limiting the impact of the pandemic.

A multi-pronged strategy is visible in its efforts ever since the coronavirus first made its footprints in the region. The core of this strategy was based on the underlined fostering of relationship between the “awaam” or the masses of Kashmir and “jawan” — soldiers who have come from different parts of the country to serve in the Valley, essentially in the counter-terrorism operations. Now it has developed a new theme, extending this relationship in the words, “Jawan aur awaam, karenge corona tamam” (soldiers and people together will finish off corona once and for all).

This posed a challenge of different kind — while it continued to fight against terrorists, 31 of them have been killed so far in this month alone, it had to fight the unseen terrorism of the virus too. There could only be precautions and preparedness. It is here where

the Army stepped in, adopted a series of strategies, and its responsibility increased

manifolds for it is present up to the last point of the Line of Control and has its camps within the Valley. Saving population from the virus became its frontline battle — far different from the usual medical camps and treatment.

Chinar Corps, under the leadership of Corps Commander Lt-Gen BS Raju, that has the responsibility of guarding the LoC and keeping the hinterland safe from terrorists, started its anti-Covid offensive — an intensive awareness campaign about the sanitation and the precautions necessary to pre-empt the disease. Apart from opening medical facilities and giving sanitisers and ration, it is helping the government centres in several areas. One such facility is being set up in Rangreth on the outskirts of Srinagar.

This new facility will cater, according to the Army, “for an approximate strength of 250 level one and level two patients”. The medical team of Army doctors and medical staff will be headed by Brig Atul Sood.

The Army also helped the Srinagar Municipal Corporation in airlifting boom sprayers with the help of the Indian Air Force. These are some of the measures that have come to public attention, but what is not known is that the Army rescued people. Snow Leopards unit of the Army airlifted a pregnant woman, Zytoona Begum, resident of Satni village in remote and inaccessible area of Gurez located very close to the Line of Control. It was on April 1 when the life was saved for she was a case of molar pregnancy with excessive bleeding resulting in low haemoglobin and needed urgent surgery. That was performed at Gurez sub-district hospital under the supervision of the Army and civil doctors.

There are numerous such examples, each one of which has the Army’s signature in fighting Covid-19.