Naval aircraft transports medical team from Goa to Pune

Indian Navy team with the medical staff before take-off.

A Dornier aircraft of Indian Navy, with a team of four doctors from Goa State Health department, took off from INS Hansa, Goa to Pune on March 25, 2020. The medical team led by Dr Savio Rodrigues, HOD Microbiology, Goa Medical College, will undergo training to set up a COVID test facility at Goa.

A request to the Navy for providing air transport was received by Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area during the late hours of 24 Mar 2020. The Navy immediately initiated necessary procedures and the aircraft took off in the morning today. A few samples of COVID-19 suspects were also carried by the medical team for testing.

The medical team is likely to return to Goa on 27 Mar 2020 post completion of the training.

Meanwhile all the 44 passengers who were o n a pilgrimage to Iran, continues to be in quarantine at Material Organisation, Ghatkopar (W) and luckily none of them tested positive for COVID 19- though two of them were taken to Kasturba hospital after they showed signs of fever and cough, but returned back to the quarantine center after their report tested negative, said a defence spokesperson.

On March 27, they will complete two weeks of their stay in quarantine and a fresh test will be repeated on them, and if results are negative, they will be allowed to go to their respective homes, with likely possibility of home stay, and in case anyone test positive, they will be moved to isolation wards, in the designated shortlisted hospital or Kasturba.

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