Hemant Soren writes to PM, seeks permission to use medical staff of paramilitary forces to combat Coronavirus

Ranchi: In wake of the surge of the second wave of Coronavirus in Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking permission to allow the use of doctors and paramedical associated with Central Paramilitary Forces stationed in the state to support the government in this battle against Covid-19.

He wrote that the state of Jharkhand like other parts of India is facing acute surge of covid cases during its second wave that started around mid of March 2021. The average daily number of new cases before March 18 was less than hundred whereas this number has jumped to more than 3000 in less than a span of one month.

During the first wave more than 90 percent of cases were asymptomatic and the number of persons that required support of oxygen or ventilator was not very high. He wrote that the state had anticipated the second wave to be less virulent due to vaccination and her humanity but it has surprisingly turned out to be extremely virulent. Jharkhand is a landlocked state that shares its borders with five states namely Uttar Pradesh Bihar West Bengal Chhattisgarh and Odisha and interstate movement from these states affected by covid pandemic is adding to the problems.

He wrote that the state government is trying to fight this pandemic with whatever medical infrastructure and resources that is available in this backward state and all the doctors and paramedics available in the government and the private sector are being optimally utilised but the requirement to handle the current case load is much higher than the availability.

The Chief Minister wrote that Jharkhand is the left wing affected state where a large number of Central Paramilitary forces like CRPF and SSB have been deployed to fight this left wing extremism. He said that on Friday during a review meeting held by him it came to his notice that each company of CPMF deployed in Jharkhand is manned by a certain number of doctors and paramedics. Similarly there are two military hospitals located at Ranchi and Ramgarh catering to the medical requirements of 23 Infantry Division, Sikh Regiment and Punjab Regiment. "I feel the the the contingent of doctors and paramedics available with the aforesaid establishments can be of immense help in case they are deployed for the treatment and management of covid-19 patients," he wrote.

He requested the Prime Minister to kindly direct the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defence to issue necessary instructions for permitting the state government to deploy doctors and paramedics of the central para military forces and military hospitals for the treatment and management of covid-19 patients.