Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, the biggest state run government hospital in Ranchi, on Sunday roped in 100 jawans from the Indian Reserve Battalion as an auxiliary workforce to assist the medical frontline workers at the hospital as the first point contact for all Covid-19 patients and facilitate their treatment.

Rims officials said that IRB jawans have been trained by them in basic medical care such as fixing oxygen cylinders, monitoring one’s pulse among others so that they could be of help in extending initial care to the patients till the time he/she is admitted in the hospital.

Sources said that the jawans will work in tandem with doctors and nurses to assist them in the wake of growing manpower crunch at the hospital amid the ongoing second wave of covid-19, which is rapidly infecting people and taking a toll on many.

Additional director at RIIMS, P.K.Waghmare said that the decision to rope in jawans was taken in view of manpower shortage at the hospital with many healthcare professionals getting infected.

“We have trained first lot of IRB jawans in very basic medical care so that when the patient comes, they can be attended by them to reduce their stress levels till the time they are attended by any doctor or get hospitalised,” he said, adding that the jawans will largely be put to work at emergency and general wards.

According to officials, not all Covid patients rushing to a hospital require immediate hospitalisation or oxygen support but need to be kept under observation. With all hospitals crowded with an inflow of daily patients, hospital staff fail to attend them on time leading to panic, restlessness and anger among their kin.

Waghmare said the jawans will be able to fill that gap.

Anjali Baraik, a female constable of IRB said that she felt proud to be on Covid duty at the hospital. “It’s time to prove that we can’t just wield lathis and guns to take on enemies but can do our bit in these times of medical calamity,” she said.