Centre sends life-saving drugs, protective items to quake-hit Turkey, Syria

The Centre has sent humanitarian medical assistance and Emergency Relief Material like life-saving drugs, protective items and critical care equipment valued at over Rs 7 crore to quake-hit Syria and Turkey.

Union health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the efforts of the Ministry to provide emergency relief materials to Turkey and Syria in a tweet on Tuesday. He stated in a tweet, "India is providing assistance to the two countries in the spirit of its age-old tradition of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam".

"On Feb 6, when two powerful earthquakes hit Syria and Turkey, 3 truck load of relief materials were arranged at Hindon airbase consisting of life saving emergency medicines and protective items within 12 hours. The trucks started reaching by 10 a.m. next day and handing over of the relief items to the Indian Air Force (IAF) begun by 4 p.m. The last truck load reached by 9.30 p.m. and the flight departed to Syria with emergency relief material on the same day by 10 p.m. for the relief operation", said health ministry.

The consignment consisted of 5,945-ton emergency relief material which included 27 life-saving medicines, two kinds of protective items and three categories of critical care equipments, valued at approximately Rs 2 crore.

The ministry said that on Feb 10, a bigger lot of relief materials was arranged for both Turkey and Syria. The consignment for Syria consisted of 72 critical care drugs, consumables and protective items of 7.3 tons, valued at Rs 1.4 crore. Relief materials sent for Turkey included 14 types of medical and critical care equipments, valued at Rs 4 crore.

The medical equipments dispatched to quake-hit Turkey includes Patients Monitor Cardio, Syringe pump, ECG machine, Nebulizer, Glucometer, Thermometer, ventilator among others.

(With inputs from IANS)