SOURCE: HT
India has despatched a warship with two medical teams and medical supplies to assist authorities in the Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles to prevent and control Covid-19 and dengue fever. The Indian Navy’s INS Kesari, a 5,600-tonne landing ship, was deployed in response to requests for assistance from the Indian Ocean countries in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, the external affairs ministry said on Sunday. The warship is carrying consignments of Covid-19-related essential medicines and food supplies.
The two medical assistance teams on board the warship will be deployed in Mauritius and Comoros to help their governments deal with the Covid-19 crisis and dengue fever (in Comoros).
The vessel will also deliver consignments of Covid-19-related medicines to Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles and 600 tonnes of food supplies to the Maldives. It is also carrying a special consignment of Ayurvedic medicines for Mauritius, the ministry said.
The consignments for Madagascar and Comoros include hydroxychloroquine tablets. India supplied 50,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to the Maldives last month and more supplies were also sent to Mauritius and Seychelles.
India had also deployed a team of select medical personnel to the Maldives to augment the preparedness of authorities there to fight Covid-19. The Indian Ocean archipelago had so far reported 766 Covid-19 cases and three deaths.
The Indian Navy has also played a key role in the repatriation of some 1,000 Indian nationals from the Maldives since last week. The navy deployed two massive warships to Male to bring back the Indians.
The operation to help the Indian Ocean countries, named Mission Sagar, was inspired by the prime minister’s vision of “Sagar” – Security and Growth for All in the Region. It is also in line with India’s “time-tested role as the first responder in the region”, the external affairs ministry said.
India has already supported the efforts of the governments of the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Seychelles to control and prevent Covid-19 by providing them consignments of essential medicines.
Last month, India activated a currency swap arrangement with the Maldives and said it would provide $150 million to help the country mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. The facility is part of the $400 million currency swap agreement signed in July 2019 between the two countries.
India has also deployed a medical rapid response team to Kuwait and provided hydroxychloroquine tablets to many countries in the neighbourhood as grants.
https://defencenewsofindia.com/govt-sends-warship-with-medical-teams-to-indian-ocean-nations/
