Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has said that India-gifted helicopters have conducted 36 operations within the duration of the first three months of this administration.

Coast Guard Commander, Ali Zuhair, made the announcement at a press conference held at Coast Guard building today. He said that the India-gifted helicopters have been used in a total of 36 operations and added that 90 percent of that has been for medical airlifts.

Commander Zuhair noted that the biggest challenge in transporting patients by way of sea from all over Maldives had been ensuring that patient’s conditions do not worsen. He said that a helicopter helps in this way where lives can be saved during transport.

He informed that the helicopters have been used for monitoring the area of the ocean, search and rescue of divers as well as for medical evacuations to nearby hospitals or Male’ hospitals.

Coast Guard Commander Zuhair said that there are no Maldivian pilots equipped to operate the helicopters as of now. He said however that the chance to undergo the training to operate helicopters will opened up in the near future  and added that India is fully cooperating with this.

He said that the renewal of the helicopter agreement by the government had been carried out with no new changes to the agreement.