NEW DELHI, Feb 21 (PTI): Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Tuesday said the force is proud of its medical team for rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to quake-hit Turkiye, and asserted that the mobilisation of a field hospital in short time indicates the team’s excellent operational preparedness.
He said this after interacting with members of the Indian Army’s medical team that has returned to the country after rendering extensive services to a large number of earthquake-hit people in Turkiye’s Iskenderun region.
The event was hosted at Nalanda Auditorium in the premises of the Army Base Hospital at Delhi Cantonment.
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“We are proud of our medical team for rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to quake-hit people in Turkiye,” Gen Pande said.
India launched ‘Operation Dost’ to extend assistance to Turkiye as well as Syria after various parts of the two countries were hit by a devastating earthquake on February 6 that has killed over 30,000 people.
“#IndianArmy Medical Facility at Iskenderun, Hatay, concluded their services amidst gratitude and applause from the locals. The team of 60 Para Field Hospital will be returning to #India after their selfless efforts in earthquake affected #Türkiye,” the Army had earlier tweeted.
The medical team provided assistance to quake-affected people in Turkiye from February 7-19.
“Within short period of time, the Indian Army medical team established a 30-bed field hospital in Iskenderun region. The timely decision and excellent inter-agency coordination among all stakeholders made them among the first few medical teams to reach Turkiye,” Gen Pande told reporters on Tuesday.
“Mobilisation of field hospitals in such a short time in Turkiye also indicates the excellent operational preparedness they maintain at all times,” he added.
Our medical team is extremely appreciative of the assistance and cooperation extended to them by Turkish citizens, Gen Pande said.
A special cake carrying the image of the Army’s medical team in Turkiye was also cut on the occasion.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had on Monday tweeted, “The @adgpi medical team deployed under #OperationDost in Türkiye touches down in India. The 99-member self-contained team successfully set up and ran a fully equipped 30-bedded Field Hospital in Iskenderun, Hatay, attending to nearly 4000 patients round the clock”.
He had also shared a few pictures of the medical team.
India sent relief materials as well as medical and rescue teams to Turkiye following the quake. As part of quake assistance, India also sent relief materials and medicines to Syria.
