Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gifted four indigenously developed BHISHMA (India Health Cooperation Interest and Friendship Initiative) cubes to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the war-torn country. A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said the BHISHMA cubes carry essential medicines and equipment designed to provide medical care in emergency situations.
Bhishma Cubes are portable medical units designed to provide essential healthcare services in disaster-prone areas. According to an official statement, the cubes contain medicines and equipment for primary care for all types of injuries and medical conditions.
“It also includes surgical equipment for a basic operation room which can perform 10-15 basic surgeries per day. The cube can handle around 200 cases of various types of emergency conditions such as trauma, bleeding, burns, fractures, etc. It can also generate electricity and oxygen in limited quantities. A team of experts from India has been deployed to provide initial training to the Ukrainian side on operating the cube,” the statement said.
o’clock @narendra modi Bhishma Cubes handed over to the President @ZelenskyyUaThe indigenously developed Bhishma Cubes carry essential medicines and equipment designed to provide medical care for emergency situations. pic.twitter.com/IZuxkxNeRK
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 23, 2024
It said the move underlines India’s continued commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to war-torn Ukraine.
Zelensky thanked Prime Minister Modi for the Cuban humanitarian assistance, which will help accelerate the treatment of the injured and save precious lives.
Also Read | PM Modi’s Ukraine visit potentially “helpful”, says White House
What are Bhishma Cubes?
Launched under Project Arogya Maitri, Bhishma Cube is a mobile hospital consisting of all the necessary medicines and equipment packed systematically in cubicle boxes (each 15 inches). These are arranged according to the type of injuries and medical problems that may occur in a war or natural disaster.
These cubes are then placed on a framework that is adjustable, robust and allows multi-mode transport (by air, sea, land and drones). These can be carried by a single person as their maximum weight is 20 kg.
#MIBePositive | 28-06-2024
Inspirational stories!➡️ Introduction #BHISHMCube: A revolutionary mobile hospital
The BHISHM Cube is a state-of-the-art, portable medical unit designed to provide essential healthcare services in disaster-prone areas. This innovative solution is a… pic.twitter.com/W7aOrmo1wD
— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) June 28, 2024
Equipped with all the necessary medical supplies, the Bhishma Cube can provide critical care to over 200 injured. They can handle cases of diverse nature, such as managing emergencies such as trauma, bleeding, burns, fractures, shock apart from initial triage and classification, officials told news agency PTI.
He said that it has the capability to assist in basic surgery and can also generate its own energy and oxygen in limited quantity and duration.
Also read | PM Modi holds talks with President of Ukraine in Kyiv. Full joint statement
PM Modi’s visit to Ukraine
PM Modi held “productive talks” with Volodymyr Zelensky and assured him of personally contributing to ending the ongoing war with Russia. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since the country gained independence in 1991. His visit comes amid Kiev’s fresh military offensive in Russia’s western Kursk region.