New Delhi, May 6 (IANS): Three Indian Navy warships -- INS Kochi, INS Tabar and INS Trikand -- are currently enroute Mumbai as part of the Operation Samudra Setu-II ferrying Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and associated medical equipment from the Persian Gulf to strengten India's fight against the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
INS Kochi and INS Tabar departed Kuwait while INS Trikand left from Doha on Thursday, carrying a total of seven 20-tonne liquid oxygen tanks and 1,400 oxygen cylinders.
INS Kolkata and INS Airavat are already enroute from Kuwait and Singapore, respectively, with more than 4,000 oxygen cylinders, two 20 MT oxygen filled containers and eight oxygen tanks.
Earlier, INS Talwar had arrived at the New Mangalore port in Karnataka on Wednesday with the first consignment of 54-tonne liquid oxygen tanks from Bahrain.
Meanwhile, a 26-member medical team, including seven doctors, two nursing officers, two paramedics and 15 Battle Field Nursing Assistants (BFNA) have been deputed from the Eastern Naval Command to augment the frontline medical team at the Dhanvantari Covid hospital in Ahmedabad.
The medical personnel from various units were airlifted from Visakhapatnam to Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The 26-member team is in addition to 58 doctors, 30 nursing officers, 64 medical assistance and 62 BFNAs deputed earlier by the Indian Navy for duties at Covid hospitals established in New Delhi, Patna, Ahmedabad and Kavaratti island for providing aid to the civil population.
A total of 90 personnel, including anaesthesiologists, physicians, medical officers, nursing staff and paramedical staff, have been flown from various naval stations to Ahmedabad.
In addition, a three-member logistic support team has also been provided which would oversee the administration of the hospital.
All the members of the team are experienced in their respective specialisations and well-versed with the Covid care protocols. The team of personnel deployed also includes BFNAs, who are non-medical personnel and have been specially trained to assist the medical manpower in patient care duties.