In a swift medical evacuation, an Indian Navy Dornier aircraft from INS Garuda, Kochi evacuated a 75 year old critically ill patient from Agatti Island Lakshadweep on 25 May 2024. A request for urgent medical evacuation of the patient was received from the Lakshadweep administration early in the morning. The Naval Dornier was promptly launched at 0700 hrs today and deployed to Agatti Island (approx 250 nautical miles from Kochi) in challenging weather conditions. The patient was airlifted and shifted to a civil hospital in Kochi at 1045 hrs for further treatment. The successful evacuation from Lakshadweep Islands has brought forth the Navy's operational readiness and commitment towards crisis response and humanitarian assistance.
