Southern Naval command tightens measures to fight COVID-19

Kochi: With the 21-day national lockdown in force, the Southern Naval Command here has further tightened measures within its bases and communities to ensure fail-proof implementation of all precautionary directives and taken initiatives to assist the civil society in its fight against the coronavirus.

A slew of measures taken by the SNC in consultation with the state Government and Naval Headquarters are aimed at a two-pronged strategy to counter the contagion COVID-19, a Defence release said.

The strategy was to assist the civil society in its fight against the disease and concurrently to ensure the insulation of the Naval personnel from infection as well as availability for all duties as required, it said on Thursday.

Ten teams of Battle Field Nursing Assistants (BFNA), comprising non-medical personnel have been kept ready here to help medical staff should the situation become overwhelming, it said.

Such BFNA teams are being readied at all other stations under the command, it said adding the Navy has implemented ‘stay wherever you are, no travel’ policy with regards to its personnel on leave or temporary duty.

Headquarters Southern Naval Command had prepared one of its training units at Kochi as the “Corona Care Centre” (CCC) for 200 Indian citizens being airlifted by the government from different parts of the world as directed earlier.

A separate CCC facility for another 200 service personnel and families has also been created, the release said adding these will be administered by a dedicated group of officers and personnel and a separate Medical Care Centre of Navy doctors and nursing staff take care of treatment.

The entry of all personnel (service and civilian) into units inside naval base including ships under the southern command have been strictly regulated in accordance with the current medical precautions and as per the bare necessary requirement of security.

Personnel from ships returning from any other ports are not being permitted to leave their ships until they have spent 14 days from the last port of call, it said.

“The lockdown is being ensured in letter and spirit across all ranks and file with all admin work being done from home. All group activities including sporting activities by children have been clamped down,” the release said.

The command has also taken necessary steps to ensure continued availability of essential supplies to discourage panic buying and crowding in its outlets.