New Delhi: DRDO is the R&D wing of Ministry of Defence, Government of India, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems, while equipping our armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment in accordance with. When disaster strikes in the country, DRDO plays an important role in providing every necessary thing, DRDO always stand with the country, like during the corona pandemic situation in India. DRDO worked on every aspect related to corona. DRDO has set up hospitals in many cities, invented the 2DG medicine to avoid the pandemic. It has set up oxygen plant and antibodies testing kit has also been introduced.
With the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic crippling the health infrastructure across the country, the defence establishment has stepped up aid efforts by setting up makeshift hospitals in various cities. In a few days, the Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel Hospital was prepared. Likewise, a 500-bed hospital was set up in Delhi with ICU facilities, A hospital with 500 beds was set up in Lucknow, a Covid hospital in Patna with 500 beds, a Covid hospital with 900 beds was set up in Ahmedabad, a Covid hospital with 750 beds was set up in Varanasi, two Covid hospitals were set up in Uttarakhand, and one hospital in Jammu and one in Srinagar are being set up.
While there is panic in the country for oxygen supplies, the DRDO has played a big role through oxygen plants to save people from this crisis. DRDO is now helping in fighting the current crisis of oxygen for Covid-19 patients. An oxygen plant is designed for a capacity of 1,000 litres per minute (LPM). The system can cater to 190 patients at a flow rate of 5 LPM and charge 195 cylinders per day. Two variants of the system have been configured. The basic version consists of a 10-litre oxygen cylinder, a pressure regulator cum flow controller, a humidifier and a nasal cannula. The oxygen flow is regulated manually based on the SpO2 readings. In the second configuration, the oxygen cylinder is equipped with electronic control which automatically regulates the oxygen flow through a low-pressure regulator and a SpO2 probe.
DRDO took the initiative of developing anti-Covid therapeutic application of 2-DG. In April 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and found that this molecule works effectively against SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits the viral growth. Based on these results, Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) permitted Phase-II clinical trial of 2-DG in Covid-19 patients in May 2020.
The first batch of the adjunct Covid therapy anti- Covid drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), was released by Defence minister Rajnath Singh and handed over to Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Science & Tech and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi on May 17.
One box each of the sachets of the drug were handed over to Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Dr Randeep Guleria and Lt Gen Sunil Kant of Armed Forces Medical Services(AFMS). More will be handed over to different hospitals across the country for emergency use.