NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, APRIL 4
A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday ferried around 6.2 tonnes of medicines and hospital consumables tohttps://youtu.be/IDJuL7uEH00 Maldives, which were stuck due to the 21-day coronavirus lockdown in the country.
Video Courtesy: PIB (DEFENCE)
The consignment was airlifted to Male by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 aircraft as part of ‘Operation Sanjeevani’. These medicines and consumables were procured by Maldives’ State Trading Organisation (STO) from eight different suppliers in India.
A statement from the Indian embassy in Maldives Thursday said that due to the lockdown in India to contain the spread of Covid-19, the consignment could not be transported to Maldives by the suppliers through any other means.
#Covid19 : Indian Air Force transported medicines and essential commodities to Leh on 02 Apr 20. #HarKaamDeshKaiNaam#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/naKN7ccxDg
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 3, 2020
So, at the request of the Maldivian government, the IAF aircraft lifted these medicines from the airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Madurai, and flew them to Maldives.
The Indian Army facilitated the transport of these medicines and consumables from warehouses across India to the respective airports.
IAF Continues Its Support Towards Fight Against Coronavirus (COVID-19) https://t.co/jj2K95ttmk#COVID2019 #MoDAgainstCorona #SayNoToPanic #SayYes2Precautions #IndiaFightsCorona #21DayLockdown #SocialDistancing pic.twitter.com/gJFH07by2S
— A. Bharat Bhushan Babu (@SpokespersonMoD) April 3, 2020
The medicines included influenza vaccines, anti-viral drugs such as lopinavir and ritonavir (which have been used to treat Covid-19 patients in other countries), medicines for cardiac conditions, kidney ailments, hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, and cancer treatment.
The consignment also included anticonvulsants and consumables such as catheters, nebulisers, urine bags, and infant feeding tubes.
An Army Medical Corps team consisting of five doctors, two nursing officers, and seven paramedics was deployed in Maldives to assist in setting up their testing, treatment and quarantine facilities from March 13-21.
India had on March 14 gifted 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines to Maldives to deal with coronavirus.
