PM Modi presents BHISHM cubes to Ukraine, Zelenskyy thanks Inddia for aid

PM Narendra Modi with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the Ukrainian government with four BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy extended gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for the humanitarian assistance. The BHISHM Cubes are intended to provide speedy medical treatment and save lives, reported ANI.

According to the report, in a post on X, PM Modi termed the BHISHM program as a one-of-a-kind effort to deliver medical facilities in a rapidly deployable style. Each cube contains drugs and equipment for early medical care and can support up to 10-15 simple procedures per day. It can handle approximately 200 emergency situations involving trauma, haemorrhage, burns, and fractures. In addition, the cubes can produce their own power and oxygen in limited quantities. An Indian team is in Ukraine to conduct preliminary training on the cubes.

"Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri (BHISHM) is a unique effort which will ensure medical facilities in a rapidly deployable manner. It consists of cubes which contain medicines and equipment for medical care. Today, presented BHISHM cubes to President Volodymr Zelenskyy," he wrote in his post.

The BHISHM program is part of Project Aarogya Maitri and consists of well-organised medical kits packaged in 15-inch cubes. These are organised by type of injury or medical concern and can be delivered by air, sea, land, or drone. A BHISHM Cube consists of 36 tiny cubes that are arranged into two mother cubes. One mother cube provides first-line care and supplies for a five-person team, while the other houses surgical equipment for basic surgeries.

The BHISHM system includes RFID for inventory management, an app with instructional videos in over 180 languages, and is intended for simple usage and quick deployment.

PM Modi visits Ukraine

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Friday after a roughly seven-hour journey to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the midst of Kyiv's new military incursion into Russian territory. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the Eastern European country.

PM Modi will undertake one-on-one and delegation-level talks with President Zelenskyy, focussing on measures to reach a peaceful settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Modi's journey to Kyiv comes roughly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow when he had extended talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.