A C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Romanian Air Force carried out a medical evacuation mission for eight Palestinian patients from the Gaza Strip, severely affected by the lack of access to adequate medical treatment, together with 29 accompanying family members.

‘The Ministry of Defence aircraft took off from Otopeni Airport on Monday at around 07:00, bound for Israel – Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport, where it landed at around 11:30. After boarding the patients and their relatives and completing the medical assessment, the aircraft took off from the airport in Israel at around 17:30, bound for Bucharest – 90th Air Transport Base – Otopeni, where it landed at approximately 22:00,’ the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) informs in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.

During the flight, medical care was provided by a team consisting of a doctor and a nurse from the Emergency Clinical Hospital Bucharest’s UPU-SMURD, as well as a doctor and two nurses from the Ministry of Defence.

For the proper conduct of the mission, a liaison officer from the Department for Emergency Situations was also on board.

After landing, the patients and their relatives received medical assistance and transport from ISU Bucharest-Ilfov crews.

‘Subsequently, with the support of a Slovak aircraft, two patients and their relatives were transported to the Kingdom of Norway, while four patients and their relatives were taken to the Kingdom of Belgium. The remaining two patients will receive specialist care in medical units in Romania,’ the source added.

The mission was carried out following requests received from the European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) through CECIS, under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

The operation was conducted in close cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the DSU, the Romanian Air Force under the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) under Israel’s Ministry of Defence, and Habitat for Humanity.

This is the eighth support mission carried out this year for the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Similar operations took place in January, March, April, May, July, September and October.

‘Through this effort our country reaffirms its role as a reliable partner involved in humanitarian assistance, the transport of critically ill patients and the provision of specialist medical treatment,’ the DSU points out. AGERPRES