New Delhi (NVI): 44 Indian evacuees from Iran who completed their quarantine period at a naval camp in Ghatkopar, Mumbai were flown back to Srinagar in a special C-130 aircraft of Indian Air Force aircraft, the Ministry of Defence said.
The evacuees included 24 women and they spent 30 days at the Indian Navy Quarantine Facility at Material Organisation, Ghatkopar, Mumbai, the Ministry said in a statement.
“The 44 individuals spent 30 days in the facility commencing 13 Mar 20, ending with each testing negative for COVID-19 on 28 Mar,” it added.
The isolation phase which started on March 13, was supposed to end on March 28 but was further extended till April 12, as the evacuees had no means of travelling to their homes in Srinagar and Ladakh, the Ministry said.
“Consequently, arrangements were made to airlift them using IAF aircraft and on 12 Apr 20, a C-130 aircraft has flown these individuals back to Srinagar,” it said.
The evacuees were attended by a dedicated team of medical staff from the Navy who worked tirelessly to monitor the health of these people.
They were supported by a team of conservancy personnel and other staff to take care of the cleanliness of the facility, their comfort and well being. The meals provided were prepared under strict supervision and customised to meet any special requirements.
In the quarantine facility, all the evacuees were provided with comfortable facilities, which included a library, TV room, indoor games, a small gymnasium and limited cricket gear, the ministry said.
For the return journey, each evacuee was given packed food, refreshments and two hand-stitched masks, prepared by Navy Wives Welfare Association (NWWA), Ghatkopar.
The 21-day nationwide lockdown was imposed last month on March 24 to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic. So far, the total number of positive cases has increased to 9,152 in India, with 308 deaths, according to the Health Ministry data.
