India has dispatched four C-17 aircraft with relief material, rescue and medical personnel to Türkiye including a 30-bed field hospital and a 99-member medical team as part of its Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts to assist earthquake-hit Türkiye and Syria.

The first two C-17s left with self-contained National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, including dog squads, search and rescue (SAR) equipment, extrication tools and vehicles. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that, in all, two teams consisting of 101 NDRF personnel have been sent, with doctors and paramedics for providing necessary assistance. The field hospital was mobilised hours after the announcement of assistance and dispatched with a 99-member medical team. The team comprises of critical care specialist teams, including an orthopaedic surgical team, a general surgical specialist team, and medical specialist teams, apart from other medical teams. The teams are equipped with X-ray machines, ventilators, an oxygen generation plant, cardiac monitors and associated equipment to establish a 30-bedded medical facility. The fourth IAF C-17 aircraft left for Türkiye with the remaining component of the field hospital. This includes 54 members of the Indian Army medical team as well as medical and other equipment to establish the facility. A 45-member Army medical team with components of the field hospital had left a couple of hours prior in another aircraft.

To Syria, India has despatched medical supplies in an IAF C-130 transport aircraft to Damascus. “An IAF flight carrying 6 tons of emergency relief assistance has taken off for Syria. Consignment consists of life saving medicines and emergency medical items. Indian stands in solidarity with those most affected by this tragedy,” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted.