Indian Naval Ship Shardul, a landing ship presently part of the First Training Squadron under the Southern Naval Command (SNC), has been diverted from its operational mission responding to a request received from the administration of the union territory of Lakshadweep (UTL) for shifting a dead body from Minicoy to Kochi for post mortem, due to the lack of facilities at Lakshadweep islands; and for the evacuation of a 33-year-old pregnant lady with medical complications, also from Minicoy.
The ship reached off Minicoy on the morning of 20 Jul 19 and the pregnant lady, along with four medical staff and her companion, as well as the dead body along with one UTL policeman, have been transferred onboard. The Ship arrived in Kochi 21st July.
SNC has conducted medical evacuations earlier from the Lakshadweep & Minicoy. A comatose female patient was evacuated from Kavaratti on 16 May 19 by a naval helicopter flown from Kochi. On another occasion, MV Triton Liberty, hired by SNC had evacuated a pregnant female patient from Kavaratti on 25 May 19.
