Maldives government hesitates to use Indian helicopters and child dies

NEW DELHI: A 13-year-old child died in the Maldives due to a delay in providing his treatment, caused by the Maldivian government’s alleged reluctance to use Indian choppers for medical evacuation, according to the Maldivian media. India had earlier supplied two naval helicopters and a Dornier aircraft for medical evacuation and other high availability disaster recovery (HARD) activities.
According to local media, the child, who could not be brought to the capital Male from Gaafu Atoll in time, later died. The family attributed the death to the delay in his transfer to Malé.

The fate of Indian helicopters and aircraft remains uncertain due to the Maldivian government’s insistence on expelling Indian military personnel responsible for the operation and maintenance of these assets. President Mohamed Muizzu has asked India to withdraw its troops by March 15, although Indian officials say negotiations are still ongoing to find a “workable” solution to the issue.

Responding to criticism over the non-use of Indian helicopters, Maldives Defense Minister Mohamed Ghassan said 93 percent of evacuations were still carried out by Maldivian Airlines. “The SOPs (standard operating procedures) of medical operations do not require notification or request for permission from the president. This is done through the coordination of relevant institutions,” Ghassan said in a post on social network X.