UPDATE - Turkey evacuates 4 COVID-19 patients from Bangladesh

UPDATED WITH MORE DETAILS

By Md. Kamruzzaman and Kenan Irtak

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Turkey on Sunday evacuated four COVID-19 patients including an expatriate from Bangladesh, officials said.

“Tuba Ahsan, a Turkish citizen, her Bangladeshi husband Mossaddique Ahsan, and their 3-year-old twins Huma and Ziyad were evacuated in an air ambulance,” a statement by the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka read.

The air ambulance was arranged by Turkey's Health Ministry after receiving a document that shows the conditions of the family members.

Staff from the ministry in special protective gear on the air ambulance took the family, and the plane landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 6.45 p.m. (15.45GMT).

The family disembarked the plane and was taken by individual ambulances to Istanbul Health Sciences University’s Hospital.

Mustafa Osman Turan, Turkish ambassador to Bangladesh, and deputy head of mission Enis Faruk Erdem were present at the Dhaka airport during the departure.

“Turkey has provided gratis air ambulance service to its citizens present in any part of the world since 2008,” said Turan.

At least 750 cases were so far brought to Turkey by air ambulance from abroad from 69 countries.

“Even during [Muslim] Eid holidays, which began in Turkey today [Sunday], these services will continue unabated," he said, adding that they are available for any Turkish national who is unable to receive the necessary virus treatment for any reason.

Earlier on April 21, as many as 154 Turkish nationals left Bangladesh on a Turkish Airlines charter flight.

* Havva Kara Aydin contributed to this story from Ankara