At least 176 Indians from Bahrain and Oman completed their mandated quarantine period at Naval Base Kochi on Thursday. The residents of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) Covid Care Centre (CCC) for the past two weeks would now travel back to various parts of the country.
Explaining about the efforts put behind this Commander Sridhar Warrier, the Ministry of Defence spokesperson in Kochi told The Daily Guardian, “The corona care centre of the Southern Naval Command with a provision for approximately 200 persons which was created during the initial phase of Covid-19 outbreak and being used for the requirements of in house quarantining of SNC was quickly turned around. It was swiftly converted on the directives from the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) to house deportees from the GCC countries as part of the Indian Navy’s commitment towards aiding the civil administration in the handling of the fallout due to the pandemic situation.”
Explaining further about the CCC at SNC Commander Warrier further added, “The facility was quickly prepared after shifting its inmates to an alternate area. The deportees initially from Bahrain and subsequently from Oman were housed for a period of two weeks wherein they were provided specialised medical attention and in some cases minor financial assistance too. The deportees have all left satisfied with their experience and the facility is now going to be used for the quarantining requirements arising out of the official movements of naval personnel post declaration of Unlock 1.0.”
Forty-nine Indians from Oman were the last to depart the CCC on Thursday, whilst 127 from Bahrain left the Indian Navy Facility between 01 & 02 Jun. The Navy’s Quarantine facility at Kochi with a 200-bed capacity was set up in Mar 20 and has been serving as a transit quarantine camp for naval personnel returning to Kochi on duty after leave. It was modified at short notice to cater for the arrival of personnel from Bahrain & Oman. The Camp is being managed by trained naval doctors and personnel from the School of Naval Airmen (SFNA) at Southern Naval Command.
During their stay at the CCC they were provided with all meals, personal hygiene kits, supervised medical care, WiFi and telephone facilities, new BSNL SIM cards as well as currency exchange, amongst other basic amenities. All residents underwent the RT-PCR tests during their stay and have tested negative prior to discharge.
“The Indian Navy has spared no effort in supporting the nation in its battle against Covid-19 and continues to fulfil its resolve towards dedicating Har Kaam Desh Ke Naam,” said Warrier.
