New Delhi, Feb 13 (FN Bureau) A seventh Indian Air Force plane loaded with quake relief material, including medical equipment and disaster relief consumables, delivered the material in Syria and Turkiye on Sunday, the MEA said. The Operation Dost flight delivered 23 tons of relief material to Damascus and 12 tons to Turkiye. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in tweets said the plane first delivered relief material in quake-hit Damascus. “7th #OperationDost flight reached Syria with over 23 tons of relief material, including gensets, solar lamps, emergency & critical care medicines, & disaster relief consumables. “Received at Damascus airport by Deputy Minister of Local Administration & Environment Moutaz Douaji.” It then flew to Turkiye with relief material. “7th #OperationDost flight has delivered the relief material for Türkiye at Adana airport. “This included medical equipment like patient monitor, ECG, syringe pumps and disaster relief material, along with supplies for our teams on the ground,” the spokesperson posted.
The IAF C-17 aircraft was carrying over 35 tons of relief material, of which over 23 tons was headed for relief efforts in Syria, and around 12 tons to Turkey. The assistance sent for Syria comprises relief material such as sleeping mats, gensets, solar lamps, tarpaulins, blankets, emergency and critical care medicines, and disaster relief consumables. The material headed for Turkey consists of team supplies for the Army field hospital and NDRF, medical equipment such as ECG, patient monitor, anaesthesia machine, syringe pumps, glucometer, etc., blankets and other relief material. The Indian Army has set up a 30-bedded field hospital in Iskenderun, in Hatay province in southern Turkiye. The field hospital is equipped with X-Ray machines, ventilators, an Operation Theatre and critical care specialists to treat emergencies. India has also deployed over 150 NDRF personnel for rescue and relief operations in Turkiye, along with dog squads, specialized equipment, vehicles and supplies that allows for detection, location, access and extrication of people trapped under collapsed structures. India’s humanitarian outreach comes as the death toll from Monday’s 7.8 Richter temblor in Turkiye crossed 20,000.