India sends food and medical assistance to Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar
- Food and medical assistance have also been sent to Comoros and Seychelles
- Naval ship Kesari was carrying medical teams, essential medicines and food items to the five countries in line with India’s ‘time-tested’ role as the first responder to any crisis in the Indian Ocean region
India has sent food and medical assistance to the Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles by a naval ship following separate requests for help in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The ship has been dispatched sent under India’s ‘Mission Sagar’ launched to help the friendly countries deal with the pandemic.
The Indian foreign ministry in a statement said the Indian naval ship Kesari was carrying medical teams, essential medicines and food items to the five countries in line with India’s “time-tested” role as the first responder to any crisis in the Indian Ocean region.
“The deployment is in consonance with the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi’) s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region ‘SAGAR’ and highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with her neighbouring countries and further strengthens the existing bond,” the Indian navy said in a separate statement.
“Responding to their requests for assistance in dealing with the covid-19 pandemic, India has sent Indian Naval Ship Kesari to Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles, carrying on board two medical assistance teams, consignments of covid related essential medicines and essential food items,” the foreign ministry statement said.
It said the medical assistance teams will be deployed in Mauritius and Comoros to help their governments deal with covid-19. The team for Comoros will also help tackle dengue fever in the country, it said.
Apart from medicines to Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles, the ship will also deliver about 600 tonnes of food items to Maldives, the statement said. The consignment for Mauritius includes some Ayurvedic medicines, it said.
“The consignments meant for Madagascar and Comoros also includes Hydroxychloroquine tablets, which have already been sent earlier to Mauritius, Maldives and Seychelles,” it said.
