COVID-19: IB, NIA, CBI officials under treatment at CAPFs hospital in Greater Noida

New Delhi, Jul 15 () Officials from premier investigative and intelligence agencies such as the CBI, NIA and IB, among others, are undergoing treatment at the CAPFs Referral hospital in Greater Noida, a latest data said.

The hospital, according to the data accessed by , is treating three officials each from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and one each from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) as of Monday.

These are premier investigative and intelligence-gathering organisations of the central government and the officials of these agencies have been admitted to the CAPFs Referral hospital as it is a designated COVID-19 facility for central police organisations, a senior official said.

The hospital is also treating about 45 personnel from the elite commando force, National Security Guard (NSG), and four from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

However, these NSG staffers are not from the combat counter-terrorist units but from various administrative wings of the "black cats" force.

The NSG was raised in 1984 for specialist counter-terrorist, counter-hijack and hostage-rescue operations.

The other coronavirus patients from these organisations based in Delhi and the National Capital Region are being admitted to other medical facilities in the region, besides the AIIMS in Haryana's Jhajjar, the official said.

The data states that the speciality hospital is treating a total of 131 personnel from the central paramilitary forces and police organisations at present, apart from some retired personnel and a few family members of CAPF personnel.

The 200-bedded facility, built at a cost of Rs 121 crore, was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in October, 2018, who was the home minister at the time, and is run by border-guarding force Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

It has a team of 153 doctors, nurses, paramedics and ward boys.

Over 240 personnel of the central paramilitary forces, also known as the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), have been discharged after recovering from coronavirus.

After the ITBP and BSF chief S S Deswal recently declared that the health facilities of these two forces will also serve their veterans, the families of troops killed in action and their dependents for COVID-19, the hospital has also admitted such individuals.

The doctors at this facility are treating about 11 family members of ex-CAPF personnel and veterans.

The hospital boasts of a modern pathology laboratory, a radiology department, an operation theatre and different departments such as paediatrics, ophthalmology, general medicine, ENT and orthopedics, among others.

According to the latest data, the five CAPFs -- CRPF, ITBP, BSF, CISF and SSB -- and two other central forces -- NSG and NDRF -- have reported over 1,880 coronavirus cases.

While more than 1,220 troops have been cured or have recovered, 670 are under treatment, the data said.

The first case in these forces, functioning under the Union home ministry, was detected on March 28.

These central forces, with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, render a variety of security duties, law-and-order management, border guarding, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations and disaster rescue and relief. NES SKL RC