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The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully carried out a midnight medical evacuation from Agatti Island, Lakshadweep to Kochi, Kerala, for a critically ill 75-year-old male patient diagnosed with acute subacute subdural hematoma, a press brief from the Coast Guard said.
According to the ICG, the urgent medevac request was received from the Union Territory Administration, Lakshadweep, on December 13, post closure of runway operations at Agatti airfield. The patient was on oxygen support and required immediate advanced medical care, prompting the activation of ICG's distress and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) mechanism. In response, the ICG launched a Dornier aircraft from its Air Enclave at Kochi Airport at 2200 hours, configured as a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) with medical staff onboard. The aircraft landed at Agatti Island at 2320 hours, swiftly embarked the patient along with his spouse and medical team, and took off within 25 minutes. The aircraft landed safely at Kochi airport at approximately 0110 hours on December 14. The patient was then shifted to Amrita Hospital and is receiving advanced medical care. The press brief noted that the operation was completed within three hours of receiving the request, under challenging night-time conditions following the closure of Agatti airfield. ICG pilots demonstrated exceptional skills, with the organisation's night-landing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at the Agatti runway proving critical to the operation's success. This marked the seventh successful medevac conducted by ICG using Dornier aircraft this year. "The operation demonstrates Indian Coast Guard's unwavering commitment to saving lives, at all times and under all conditions, not only in maritime zones but also from island territories and far-flung islands, remaining true to our motto, 'Vyam Rakhamah: We Protect'," the brief added. (ANI)
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