Moscow [Russia], November 5 : Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Friday that it has established a reserve of human resources and facilities to provide the country’s regions with additional medical support to treat COVID-19. “Nine medical special-purpose detachments, nine mobile hospitals, and 100 medical staff brigades have been formed within the reserve. Most of them are already engaged in providing civilian COVID-19 patients with medical care in different Russian regions,” the ministry said in a statement. Medical staff involved in the brigades include the military who have experience in diagnosing and treating COVID-19 patients, as well as resuscitation specialists, pulmonologists, anesthetists, and other experts. “Besides, over 2,800 beds for COVID-19 patients have been placed in the hospitals belonging to the defense ministry, and 50 per cent of all the beds have been allocated for civilian patients. Since the beginning of the pandemic, almost 10,000 civilian COVID-19 patients have received treatment in the multifunctional medical facilities constructed by the defense ministry,” according to the statement. The defense ministry is assisting the Russian regions and republics in fighting COVID-19 under the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia is currently experiencing the most severe wave of COVID-19 transmissions since the outbreak of the pandemic forcing much of the country into a partial lockdown.
