Mission Sagar: INS Kesari Returns to Port Louis, Mauritius

As part of Mission Sagar, Indian Naval Ship Kesari returned to Port Louis, Mauritius, on 14 June 2020, to embark the Indian Navy Medical Team, which was disembarked during her last visit to Port Louis on 23 May 2020. The 14-member medical team comprising specialist doctors and paramedics was disembarked at Port Louis with an aim to assist in management of COVID-19 pandemic, share expertise to help contain the spread of the disease and minimize risk to life.

During their deployment at Port Louis, the team visited various healthcare facilities including Regional Hospitals, Flu Clinics, ENT Hospital (the designated COVID Hospital in Mauritius), Quarantine Centre, Central Health Laboratory (the COVID testing facility in Mauritius) and the SAMU (Emergency Medical Services) Headquarters cum Control Centre located at Victoria Hospital. The team interacted with healthcare warriors at all levels and held meaningful discussions towards sharing best practices on COVID-19 management. Demonstrations and workshops on important topics such as Hand Hygiene, Screening and Triage, Disinfection and PPE were conducted, and audience response during these sessions was highly encouraging. The team also shared PDF versions of two documents ‘Guide to Contain and Combat COVID-19’ and ‘Manual on Training of Health Care Workers’ for future reference by the healthcare workers. MrJanesh Kain, Deputy High Commissioner also interacted with the Indian Navy Medical Team prior to their embarkation onboard INS Kesari.

‘Mission Sagar’, is in line with India’s role as the first responder in the region and builds on the excellent relations existing between the two countries to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant difficulties. The deployment is in consonance with the Prime Ministers vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region ‘SAGAR’ and highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with the countries of the IOR. The operation is being progressed in close coordination with the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India.