India has sent more than 250 personnel, specialised equipment and more than 135 tonnes of other relief material to to Turkiye on five C-17 IAF aircraft as part of the ‘Operation Dost’ initiative
New Delhi: An Indian Army field hospital set up in Hatay province of quake-ravaged Turkey has begun work with surgical and emergency wards after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and several powerful aftershocks devastated that country.
The quake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, Feb 6,killing over 17,000 people and flattening several buildings. India has launched ‘Operation Dost’ to extend assistance to both the countries.
On Tuesday, Feb 7, relief materials, a mobile hospital and specialised search and rescue teams were sent by India in four C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft
Another consignment of relief material followed on Wednesday, Feb 8, in another aircraft to Turkey.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday took to Twitter to update on the details of relief work by India.
“The army field hospital in Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye has started functioning with running Medical, Surgical & Emergency Wards; X-Ray Lab & Medical Store. @adgpi team will work 24 x 7 to provide relief to the affected people. #OperationDost,” Jaishankar tweeted and shared pictures of the field hospital.
Jaishankar had earlier shared photos of teams from India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) commencing search operation in Turkiye’s Gaziantep.
The MEA said India has been able to send more than 250 personnel, specialised equipment and other relief material amounting to more than 135 tonnes to Turkiye on five C-17 IAF aircraft.
These include three self-sustained teams of the NDRF numbering more than 150 specially trained personnel, along with dog squads, specialised equipment, vehicles and other supplies.
“Their equipment allows for detection, location, access and rescue of people trapped under collapsed structures,” the MEA said.
In addition, personnel and equipment have been sent to set up a 30-bed self-sustained field hospital of the Indian Army.
This includes a team of 99 specially-trained personnel with essential medicines, advanced equipment, vehicles, and ambulances.
The MEA said the hospital will provide for a fully functional operation theatre, and facilities such as X-ray, and ventilators among others.
The Indian Army on Thursday also tweeted a picture of a woman hugging an Indian Army personnel on duty at the field hospital: “#OperationDost We Care. #IndianArmy #Türkiye”.
MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a tweet on Wednesday, had said: “#OperationDost in full swing! The @adgpi Field Hospital being set up at Iskenderun, Hatay province in Türkiye. Once functional, it will be a 30-bedded fully-equipped medical facility with Operation Theatre, X-ray machines, ventilators, etc.”
India has also sent relief materials on board a C-130J aircraft of the Indian Air Force to Syria on Tuesday, Feb 7.
Asked about sending aid to Syria when the country has been under US sanctions, Secretary (West) in the MEA Sanjay Verma had said that India is following the G20 mantra of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
“Sanctions don’t cover such humanitarian assistance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Syrian Embassy in India issued an appeal seeking help. “We are appealing to our Indian friends from all strata of society to come forward and help,” it said.
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