36 patients leave for treatment in Chennai |22 December 2020

MIOT International Hospital in Chennai

By Vidya Gappy

The wait is finally over for 36 patients who were able to fly to Chennai yesterday morning on a special flight operated by Air Seychelles.

They are patients from the Ministry of Health who are expected to receive further treatment mainly in radiotherapy, cardiac intervention and operations and eye surgery.

The flight had a total of 80 passengers out of whom 36 are patients.

The patients were visited in the departure lounge of the Seychelles International Airport by Vice-President Ahmed Afif and the Minister for Health Peggy Vidot prior to departure. Both expressed well wishes to the patients for their journey and treatment.

All 36 patients had to do their PCR Tests prior to departure as requested by the Ministry of Health in Seychelles.

This was a chartered flight approved by the government of India and in the clearance letter released on December 17, it is stated that the government of India has permitted to operate special charter flight from Seychelles to Chennai Airport by Air Seychelles (HM-9268) on 21.12.2020. The flight will carry 36 patients who will be requiring urgent medical treatment in MIOT Hospital, Chennai along with their medical attendants subject to following conditions stated below for strict adherence: the travellers should have negative – RT-PCR test report and submit the report to the District Collector on arrival at the airport. The patients shall be taken directly to the hospital after arrival; the travellers should minimise public interaction, visiting public places while on their way; maintain respiratory etiquette (wearing of face mask), hand hygiene, environmental hygiene during their stay in India.

And last but not least, all travellers should remain under hospital facility/home quarantine for 14 days, should self-monitor their health for this duration and report development of any Covid-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, breathing difficulty.

Meanwhile Dr Yavar Vikhas, Vice-President, Products at MIOT International, confirmed yesterday evening that all Seychellois patients and attendants have arrived safely at the MIOT hospital.

Vidya Gappy