British paratroopers deliver medical aid to Tristan da Cunha
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 10
British paratroopers deliver medical aid to Tristan da Cunha
9 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 10
The team of six paratroopers and two military clinicians dropped oxygen after supplies reached critical levels on the South Atlantic islands, home to 221 people and only two medical staff.
Britain said the suspected patient had disembarked from the MV Hondius, which visited about a month ago and was linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, making an airdrop the only timely option.
The troops flew via Ascension after a journey of more than 6,000 miles, while other Britons from the ship were being flown home from the Canary Islands to isolate for 45 days.
With a deadly virus spreading between people on a ship, are we prepared for the next unexpected outbreak at sea?
How does a rare virus from South America lead to a high-risk military parachute rescue in the middle of the Atlantic?
Is this unprecedented military medical airdrop the new reality for healthcare in the world's most isolated communities?