INDIA. Mumbai: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), in an attempt to save a precious life, successfully evacuated a 48-year old critically ill patient, in extreme weather conditions, from the far-flung Lakshadweep Group of Islands and shifted him to Kochi, Kerala, on Friday.
Indian Coast Guard announced the news via Twitter. The tweet read, “In extreme weather conditions, India Coast Guard Dornier successfully evacuated one critically ill 48 yrs old man from the #Lakshadweep Islands. The patient was brought back from #Agatti to #Kochi (450 Km) and shifted to Medical Trust Hospital, Kochi for further medical management.”
The patient was reportedly suffering from a brain stroke and was in an unconscious state at Government Hospital, Androth. He was to be shifted from Androth to Agatti (170 km) and then Agatti to Kochi (450 Km).
At the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Kochi, one Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Dornier was kept available with a medical crew and essential medical supplies, according to ICG.
Located 293 kilometres west of Kochi (Kerala), the Androth Island is a small inhabited island in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, which consist of 36 coral islands dispersed in the Arabian Sea off the western coast of India.
The Coast Guard authorities at Kavaratti and Androth Islands coordinated the safe evacuation of the patient amidst heavy rains, and subsequently, he was airlifted from Agatti to Kochi in ICG’s Dornier aircraft, which transited a distance of approx. 900 km in extreme weather conditions and provide necessary medical support to the patient en route.
The ICG Dornier landed at 02.38 pm at Kochi, and the patient was shifted to Medical Trust Hospital, Kochi, for further medical management.
Successful and safe evacuation is an indicator of professionalism and commitment of ICG Teams based at these far-flung Islands in supporting the Islanders, according to ICG.
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