Image source: Dr. S Jaishankar (Twitter handle) Operation Dost: Indian Army field hospital starts functioning in Turkey
Operation Dost: A field hospital has become operational as a part of ‘Operation Dost’ set up by the Indian Army. The field hospital has surgical and emergency wards to provide assistance to the people affected by the earthquake-ravaged Turkey. The hospital is set up in Hatay province.
India started ‘Operation Dost’
An earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 17,000 people and collapsing many buildings. India has launched ‘Operation Dost’ to provide assistance to both the countries. On Tuesday, India sent relief materials, a mobile hospital and specialized search and rescue teams to Turkey in four C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft to support the country’s rescue efforts.
field hospital started functioning
India on Wednesday sent relief material to Turkey by another plane. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter on Thursday to inform about the relief work done by India in Turkey. “Army field hospital at Iskenderun, Hatay, Turkiye has started functioning with medical, surgical and emergency wards, X-ray lab and medical stores running. @adgpi team working 24 x 7 to provide relief to affected people Will work #OperationDost, tweeted Jaishankar and shared pictures of the field hospital.
Jaishankar had earlier shared pictures of India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams launching a search operation in Turkey’s Gaziantep. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India has been able to send over 250 personnel, specialized equipment and over 135 tonnes of other relief material to Turkey by five C-17 IAF aircraft.
Image Source: Indian Army (Twitter handle)A Turkish woman hugs a female officer of the Indian Army at the field hospital.
Self-reliant teams of NDRF
These include three self-sustaining NDRF teams consisting of over 150 specially trained personnel with dog squads, special equipment, vehicles and other supplies. “Their equipment allows for the detection, location, access and rescue of people trapped under collapsed structures,” the foreign ministry said.
In addition, personnel and equipment have been sent to set up a 30-bed self-sustaining field hospital of the Indian Army. It comprises a team of 99 specially trained personnel, who have essential medicines, advanced equipment, vehicles and ambulances. The MEA said that the hospital will provide facilities like fully functional operation theatre, and X-ray, and ventilators.
The Indian Army on Thursday also tweeted a picture of a woman hugging an Indian Army soldier on duty at the field hospital: “#OperationDost We Care. #IndianArmy #Türkiye”.
