An Indian Army field hospital deployed in earthquake-hit Venezuela under Operation Amistad has become fully operational and is providing free round-the-clock medical services, as India stepped up its humanitarian assistance to the Latin American nation following the devastating earthquakes.
The Indian Embassy in Venezuela said on Monday that an Indian medical team comprising experienced Army doctors has established a medical camp at the International La Rinconada Racetrack in Caracas.
In a post on social media, the embassy said the medical camp is "now fully operational. Services are open 24 hours. All services are free."
The 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening were among the strongest to hit the country in more than a century. The twin quakes have claimed at least 1,450 lives, while thousands have been injured and many others remain missing.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Operation Amistad is underway and the Indian Army field hospital is extending "a caring hand to those impacted by the earthquake".
Also read: 23 hours, 14,000 km: IAF flies aid to quake-hit Venezuela
He said Indian Army doctors are treating those affected by the disaster, adding that Venezuela's vice health minister and the head of the Government of the Capital District visited the field hospital.
On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said relief supplies, medical equipment and the field hospital unit dispatched by India had reached Venezuela and would strengthen the country's ongoing post-earthquake relief efforts.
Under Operation Amistad, India dispatched humanitarian assistance aboard two Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft, which transported 66 tonnes of aid, including the Army field hospital, more than 35 tonnes of relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment, and two Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri (BHISHM) Cubes.
The BHISHM Cubes are mobile hospital units designed to provide emergency medical care in disaster-hit regions.
According to the Indian Air Force, the two aircraft completed a 23-hour flight covering more than 14,000 kilometres from Delhi to Caracas.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had said India "stands shoulder to shoulder with the government and the people of Venezuela during this difficult period."
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