Military Set to Employ 400 Retired Doctors to Strengthen COVID-19 Fight

Armed forces in the forefront from helping for oxygen to setting COVID-19 hospitals and opening military hospitals to transporting medical supplies.

The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) is set to recruit 400 retired medical doctors for 11 months to strengthen the fight against the Coviid-19 pandemic, officials said on Sunday. The defence ministry passed an order on Saturday to allow the AFMS to recruit these doctors who were released from service between 2017 and 2019.

“The order says fixed monthly lump sum amount will be admissible by deducting the basic pension from the salary drawn at the time of retirement plus specialist pay wherever applicable. The amount would remain unchanged for the term of the contract and no other allowances would be paid,” said a defence ministry statement on Sunday.

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The armed forces are operating in full battle mode for Covid-19 relief and foresee a bigger role for themselves in the coming weeks and months to help tackle the devastating second wave of the pandemic even as they cater to the health needs of serving soldiers, veterans and their dependents, as reported by HT on May 6.

The armed forces are in the vanguard of the fight against the deadly disease --- from helping meet the exploding demand for oxygen to setting up dedicated Covid-19 hospitals and opening doors of military hospitals to civilians to transporting critical medical stores.

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