Media reports suggest that a 14-year-old Maldivian boy died after President Mohammed Muizzu refused permission for the usage of the Indian Dornier aircraft which may have saved his life.

New Delhi: India and Maldives have not been in the best of diplomatic relations for the last few weeks, after a Maldivian Minister shared a social media post disgracing and demeaning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his photos from the Lakshadweep Islands. Amid the ongoing India-Maldives Row, the local media reports have now reported that a 14-year-old boy in Maldives has died after Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu refused the usage of the Indian Dornier aircraft which could have potentially saved the young boy’s life. The child had a medical history and he suffered a stroke; despite the family’s request for an aerial transfer, there was a sixteen-hour delay and in all this, the child lost his life.

14-Year-Old Maldivian Boy Death After No Aerial Transfer

As mentioned earlier, a 14-year-old boy in Maldives, who was battling brain tumour and a stroke, lost his life while seeking an air ambulance for advanced medical care from Wilmington in Gaaf Alif Villingili to Male, the capital of Maldives. The young boy suffered a stroke after which his family tried to contact the aviation authorities for an aerial transfer but the calls went unanswered for the entire night; the delay reportedly lasted sixteen hours.

The father of the deceased boy spoke to Adhahu, a local media outlet and according to an NDTV report, was quoted as saying, “We called Island Aviation to get him to Male immediately after the stroke but they did not answer our calls. They answered the phone at 8:30 am on Thursday. The solution is to have an air ambulance for such cases.” The boy was eventually transferred to Male where he was immediately admitted to the ICU but unfortunately could not survive.

Company Responsible For Medical Evacuations Issued Statement

The company which is responsible for medical evacuations, Aasandha Company Limited issued a statement saying that the evacuation process was very prompt but the delay was caused by a last-minute technical glitch. The company condoled the death of the boy and in its statement, also mentioned the details of the entire case and the delays caused. The statement ended with a request to the media and public, “We urge the media and the public to consider the sensitivities of the family and all parties involved in this delicate mater before disseminating information, and we appreciate your cooperation in avoiding the spread of misinformation.”

Media Statement: Regarding the Emergency Medical Evacuation Incident from GA Vilingili on January 18, 2024 pic.twitter.com/4weAjLEPPA

— Aasandha Company Ltd (@AasandhaLtd) January 20, 2024

Permission To Use Indian Aircraft Denied, Is Cause Of Child’s Death?

Speaking about the role of the India Maldives Row in the death of the child, the aircraft Maldives mostly uses for humanitarian causes is the Dornier Aircraft which is produced by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The local media reports that because the President denied permission to use this aircraft, the boy lost his life. While nothing of this sort has been mentioned explicitly, Maldives MP Meekail Naseem has shared a post on the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) and has said, “People should not have to pay with their lives to satisfy the President’s animosity towards India.”