Two-and-half-year-old child airlifted in night mission by Navy from Lakshadweep to Kochi amid adverse monsoon weather

In an attempt to save the life of a seriously ill two-and-a-half-year-old child who was suffering from breathing problems, the Indian Navy airlifted the toddler from Agatti Island in Lakshwadeep off Kerala in the Arabian sea to Kochi city in a Dornier aircraft, braving adverse weather conditions amid the monsoon.

In an attempt to save the life of a seriously ill two-and-a-half-year-old child who was suffering from breathing problems, the Indian Navy airlifted the toddler from Agatti Island in Lakshwadeep off Kerala in the Arabian sea to Kochi city in a Dornier aircraft, braving adverse weather conditions amid the monsoon. The child, who was suffering from febrile seizures, aspiration pneumonia, and respiratory failure was accompanied by its mother, uncle, and a medical doctor, and was taken to a private hospital in Kochi. A hospital spokesman said the child, admitted to the ICU, is on ventilator support.

On receiving an urgent fax at the Headquarters of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) in Kochi, seeking assistance for medical evacuation from a Naval Officer in Lakshadweep on request of the administration of the Union Territory, the Navy took up the mission forthwith on Wednesday at dusk, a defence source said. After more than an hour-long flight, the aircraft which took off from Kochi touched down in Agatti airfield, located over 450 km west of the coastal city in the Arabian sea.

The Dornier then returned to Kochi carrying the two-and-a-half-year-old and touched down at 9.50 pm, completing a nearly three-hour mission. The child was immediately shifted to a private hospital.

''The patient was airlifted from Agatti Island and shifted to Kochi by Naval Dornier of INS Garuda in challenging weather conditions due to the prevailing monsoon. The child was immediately admitted to a civil hospital at Kochi and is recovering,'' a defence release said. ''Monsoon season is always a challenge for pilots. That is what we are trained for,'' a Navy official said, when asked about the risky mission at night in poor weather.

Talking to PTI, Sulaiman, the father of the child, expressed his gratitude to the Lakshadweep administration and the Indian Navy for their help.

The Defence source said ongoing efforts towards operationalising Agatti airfield for night operations had paved the way for undertaking quick humanitarian aid and casualty evacuation missions. The successful night trials were carried out at Agatti Airfield in October last year.