IAF evacuates French national from Leh

CHANDIGARH: Bresson Florence and her husband Christophe were on a road trip in Leh when the 50-year-old French woman suffered serious injuries in an accident. She was immediately taken to an Army hospital nearby and then shifted to SNM hospital at Leh. She was later shifted to the ICU there. Her condition was critical while Christophe suffered minor injuries.
The Embassy of France in New Delhi placed an immediate request to evacuate the patient to Chandigarh or Delhi, for further medical care.Accordingly, a C-17 Globemaster aircraft was prepared for launch with at Patient Transfer unit, a mobile ICU in itself, and en route medicare personnel. Unfortunately, the weather in Leh during the afternoon on August 16-18 did not permit the aircraft to land.
On Friday morning, a C-17 aircraft, on a routine sortie, from Chandigarh landed in Leh with the Patient Transfer Unit, to which Brensson was transferred. Simultaneously a C-130 Hercules aircraft launched from Hindon reached Leh and took off with the patient accompanied by her husband and other medicare personnel.
The evacuation of the casualty was successfully completed at 9.25 am when the C-130 ac landed at Palam with the patient. She was then transferred to a specialised hospital in New Delhi.
"It was an apprehensive moment for us when due to weather we could not launch the aircraft on Thursday evening. Our medical fraternity was in constant touch with the doctors in Leh and at the first opportune moment both the aircraft were launched and mission executed successfully," said the Air Officer Commanding, Airforce Station Chandigarh, Air Commodore S Srinivasan.