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Southern Naval Command carries out medical evacuation amid inclement weather on high seas

Giving details of the entire evacuation exercise, a Defence ministry note here stated that it began at about 4 pm after SNC received input regarding a suspected COVID-19 positive case of a Phillipino male crew from Coast Guard Headquarters.

Southern Naval Command carries out medical evacuation amid inclement weather on high seas

Photo: Twitter/@indiannavy

Responding to an emergency situation arising out of a deteriorating condition of a suspected Covid-19 positive crew of a Phillipino merchant vessel, India’s Southern Naval Command (SNC) carried out a medical evacuation amid inclement weather on the high seas.

The emergency medical evacuation was accomplished on 28 September with the help of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), from Merchant Vessel MV Lyric Poet off Kochi.

Giving details of the entire evacuation exercise, a Defence ministry note here stated that it began at about 4 pm after SNC received input regarding a suspected COVID-19 positive case of a Phillipino male crew from Coast Guard Headquarters.

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The Merchant Vessel’s (MV) local agent informed that the medical condition of the chief officer Michel John Abaygar was fast deteriorating with depleting oxygen levels and required immediate medical evacuation. An ALH was immediately launched from INS Garuda to undertake the medical evacuation from onboard the vessel.

The Merchant Vessel was en route from Gibraltar to Machong. Displaying tremendous skill and professionalism, the pilots of the helicopter successfully completed the mission in adverse weather conditions and ensured safe evacuation and transferring of the patient to Naval Hospital INHS Sanjivini for further medical assistance, the ministry note said.

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