Sri Lanka Navy aid ailing Indian Navy sailor

The Sri Lanka Navy swiftly came to the aid of a senior sailor from the Indian Navy who fell ill while onboard INS Sahyadri off the east coast of the island. The ailing sailor was rushed to the Trincomalee harbour by INS Sahyadri on Wednesday (13th December 2023), and was directed for prompt medical attention.

The incident unfolded as INS Sahyadri, which set sail from Visakhapatnam, was on a passage off the east coast of Sri Lanka and one of the senior sailors encountered a health emergency while aboard the ship. Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka communicated the urgency of the situation to the Sri Lanka Navy Headquarters and informed that the sailor was being brought to the Trincomalee harbour by the evening of 13th December and sought the Sri Lanka Navy’s assistance to transfer him to China Bay, so that the patient could be airlifted to India for further medical attention.

In response, the Sri Lanka Navy mobilized a medical team from the Eastern Naval Command Hospital, along with an ambulance, to facilitate the transfer of the patient from the Trincomalee harbour to the China Bay Airport where an Indian Air Force plane was on standby for his evacuation to India.