New Delhi. 27 February 2020. An Indian Air Force C-17 special flight which landed on Wuhan, China in late evening of 26 February, provided 15 tonnes of medical assistance comprising masks, gloves and other emergency medical equipment to China on 26 February 2020.
This assistance has been provided in the wake of the Corona virus (Covid 19) outbreak in China and the request by China to provide supplies such as masks and medical equipment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written to President Xi Jinping on 8 February 2020 expressing the solidarity of the people of India and the Indian Government with the people and Government of China and also offered assistance to China in this hour of need as a gift. The medical supplies will help augment the China’s efforts to control the outbreak of this infection which has been declared as a Public Health Emergency by the World Health Organisation.
The assistance is also a mark of friendship and solidarity from the people of India towards the people of China as the two countries also celebrate 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
On its return from Wuhan the IAF Flight also brought back 76 Indian nationals (including 3 Indian Embassy officials who were on ground in Wuhan to coordinate the evacuation) and 36 foreign nationals including from some of our neighboring countries who had sought assistance in traveling to India in keeping with Prime Minister Modi’s neighbourhood first policy. The foreign nationals included 23 nationals from Bangladesh, 6 from China, 2 each from Myanmar and Maldives and one each from South Africa, USA and Madagascar.
A total of three flights have been organised including the one today. Two earlier flights were on 31 January and 1 February. In all 723 Indian nationals and 43 Foreign nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan, China in these three flights.
