Indian Coast Guard evacuates ailing Indonesian national from merchant ship off Gujarat coast

Ahmedabad, January 20

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) evacuated an ailing Indonesian national from a merchant vessel off Gujarat coast, and shifted him to Veraval town in the state for treatment, officials said on Saturday.

The rescue operation was conducted on Friday, they said.

Acting on information about the medical emergency on board merchant ship ‘Wave’, located some 90 km south of Diu, ICG ship C-149 was diverted to evacuate the patient. The local administration was informed about the emergency, the ICG said in a statement issued on Saturday.

Despite the challenging sea condition, an ICG team comprising a medical specialist embarked on the ship and examined the crew member suffering from high fever and stomach ache, it said.

The patient was stabilised by the medical team and then shifted to the ICG ship. He was then taken to the coastal town of Veraval in Gir Somnath district for further treatment.

It said the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai, had received information regarding a medical emergency on board the merchant ship. The information was then disseminated to MRCC, Porbandar, of the ICG and the rescue operation was launched.