A C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Romanian Air Force carried out, on Wednesday, a medical evacuation mission of 12 Palestinian patients from the Gaza Strip, seriously affected by the lack of access to adequate medical treatment. Five of them will be treated at the “Marie Curie” and “Grigore Alexandrescu” children’s hospitals in the capital.
The plane landed at Otopeni airport at 19:35. DSU PHOTO
Thus, the MApN aircraft took off from Otopeni airport at around 08:30, destined for Israel – Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport, where it landed at around 13:00, Romanian time, according to DSU.
After the boarding of the 12 patients and their relatives (33), as well as the medical evaluation, the plane took off from the airport in Israel, at 3:00 p.m., bound for Bucharest – Air Transport Base 90 – Otopeni, where it landed at 7:00 p.m. :35.
“During the entire transport, medical assistance was provided by a team consisting of two doctors and two assistants from UPU-SMURD Floreasca, one doctor and two assistants from MApN”stated, on Wednesday evening, DSU.
Where patients will be treated
For the smooth running of the mission, there were also two liaison officers from the DSU on board the aircraft.
“Five patients (accompanied by 16 relatives) will receive specialized treatment at the Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children “Maria Sklodowska Curie” and the Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children “Grigore Alexandrescu” in Bucharest. A patient, medically assisted by a team from UPU-SMURD Floreasca, will be transferred to Norway with the SMURD Bombardier Learjet 75 aircraft belonging to the General Aviation Inspectorate of the MAI. Another five people (together with 16 relatives), will be transported to Paris, French Republic, on an aircraft made available by the Slovak authorities, and another patient (together with three relatives), will be transferred by air to Tirana, Republic Albania, with the support of the authorities of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg“, DSU also stated
The mission was executed following the requests received from the Emergency Response Coordination Center of the European Commission (ERCC), through CECIS, within the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union, registered at the Department for Emergency Situations. In the period preceding the execution of the mission, in the months of December and January, the MEDEVAC operation planning process took place, coordinated by the DSU, which ensured the operational organization by participating in three trilateral video conferences (DSU – ERCC – COGAT).
The action was carried out in close collaboration between the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the Department for Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, the Coordination Unit for Governmental Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a unit within the Ministry Israel Defense Forces, National Emergency Medical Service, Disaster, Ambulance and Magen Blood Bank David Adom”, the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection of Bucharest City Hall, Habitat for Humanity and other essential authorities to ensure an efficient and safe operation.
“Through this approach, our country reconfirms its role as a reliable partner, involved in humanitarian assistance, the transport of patients in serious condition and the provision of specialized medical treatments“, says DSU.
