Venezuela reels after deadly quakes, India sends transcontinental flights with medical aid

According to the Army, the team is carrying approximately six tonnes of medical stores and humanitarian relief supplies provided by the Ministry of External Affairs. The BHISHM Cube (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita & Maitri) is being transported as part of India’s Aarogya Maitri Project.

The BHISHM Cube, it said, is a state-of-the-art, indigenous, rapidly deployable modular medical facility designed specifically for disaster and humanitarian response.

“Comprising compact, self-contained medical modules, it can be quickly assembled into a fully functional field hospital capable of delivering advanced trauma care, emergency surgeries, intensive care support and essential medical treatment for up to 200 patients,” the Army said.

The satellite image shows the epicentre of the earthquakes in Venezuela. (Source: USGS)

It is equipped with portable ventilators, patient monitors, diagnostic equipment, surgical instruments, power-generation and oxygen-support systems, enabling swift and effective medical assistance during humanitarian crises anywhere in the world.

People stand on a park after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday. (AP Photo)

“The dispatch of the medical contingent under Operation Amistad reflects India’s enduring commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and its readiness to extend timely support to friendly nations in times of crisis,” the statement noted.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a post on X, said the assistance contains an Army Field Hospital Unit and over 35 tonnes of relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment including two BHISM Cubes. He said India is committed to supporting the government and people of Venezuela in this difficult time.