CANTERBURY! HMNZS - Royal New Zealand Navy

OP CUTLASSLRO Nair & RO1 Kirubakaran at theDigital Communications Terminal that wasembarked in ENDEAVOUR for Ex KIWINDIAfood cooked for us during our stay. We weremade to feel good, because rather than beingtreated as guests we were treated aspart of the family which shows us the kindhearts of Kiwis.Memorable DayThe day when ENDEAVOUR fed the flyingKiwi bird (in-flight refuelling of TE MANA’shelo) was most memorable and a highlightfor us. The crew of both the ship and the helomade a very difficult thing look so simple,and we were impressed with the SupplyOfficer’s flight deck team.Giving thanksWhenever and wherever we went on boardyour ship we saw only smiling faces whoTHE INDIAN SHIPS - TECH SPECSwere welcoming and who always treatedus in a friendly manner. We were treatedthis way everywhere, from the XO, to theJunior Ratings in their cabins and in theJR dining hall, the galley, the gym and theswimming pool.Once more we thank every kind persononboard your ship. A special thanks to theLMED, who was kind enough to let us stayin the sickbay.Our wishesWe wish the Commanding officer, the XO,the officers and all of ENDEAVOUR’s Ship’sCompany a happy stay in Port Blair, and wewish ENDEAVOUR to be recognised as aworld-class replenishment tanker.With the Indian Navy’s origins stemming from the Royal Navy, we found the uniforms, traditions and the basicprocedures of the IN are very similar to our own. However, IN ship design is borrowed from both Russia and the UK.INS MYSOREBuilt in Mumbai in collaboration with the Russian SevernoyeDesign Bureau, the MYSORE displays an impressive array ofboth Russian and Indian weapon systems and sensors whilstmaintaining classic Russian lines. Armed primarily with RussianSS-N-25 Switchblade SSM, the MYSORE and her two sister shipsDELHI and MUMBAI also have the ability to embark Flag Officers.MYSORE is currently the flagship for the Indian Eastern Fleet.CLASS:COMMISIONED: 2 June 1999LENGTH:DISPLACEMENT:SPEED:COMPLEMENT:MISSILES – SSM:MISSILES – SAM:MAIN GUN:TORPEDOES:DEHLI-class Guided missile Destroyer163 Metres6700 tons32 Knots360 (40 Officers)16 SS-N-25 Switchblade48 SA-N-7 Gadfly1 x 100mm (3.9 in.)5 x 533mm (21 in.) torpedo tubesINS KUTHARThe second ship in our exercise was a Khukri-class MissileCorvette. In this role the KUTHAR is armed with SS-N-2D StyxSSM and SA-A-5 Grail Point Defence Surface to Air Missiles(SAM). Commissioned in 1990, KUTHAR and her three sisterships KHUKRI, KIRPAN, and KHANJAR now supplemented bynear-sister ships of updated design incorporating the SS-N-25Switchblade SSM.CLASS:KHUKRI-class Guided Missile CorvetteCOMMISSIONED: 7 June 1990LENGTH:91.1 MetresDISPLACEMENT: 1423 tonsSPEED:24 KnotsCOMPLEMENT: 112 (12 Officers)MISSILES – SSM: 4 SS-N-2D StyxMISSILES – SAM: 2 SA-N-5 GrailMAIN GUN:1 x 76mm (3 in.)BY LMED KASEY MUNROE, HMNZS ENDEAVOURGB PANT (PORT BLAIR) HOSPITAL:AN EYE-OPENING VISITDURING our visit to Port Blair, an RNZN delegation,consisting of POCH Wright, LSTDTepania, LWTR Litt, AMED Mordecai (TEMANA) and myself, took the opportunity tovisit GB Pant Hospital, and deliver a load ofrecreational books.At the hospital we were sent up to the library,where we met Dr ‘BB’ Gars. BB tookAMED Mordecai and me to meet the HealthSuperintendent who was very grateful forthe books, as well as very interested in ourtravels. BB then took us for a tour - it is a500 bed hospital, with a variety of differentservices available.At the hospital there are 35 doctors, 200nursing staff and 4 dentists who are alltrained to a high standard. I was informedthat all of the nursing staff are universitygraduates.It’s hard not to compare with hospitals inNZ and there was certainly is a wide gapbetween the hygiene standards there andwhat we expect in NZ. The hospital is completelygovernment-funded, with free healthcare available to all who need it. I enquired ifa Kiwi needed treatment would we have topay for health care, and BB replied that theywould not; that ‘free to all’ meant all.A lot of the patients in the hospital comefrom the surrounding islands and UNICEFfund a surveillance area in the region tomonitor infectious diseases such as Malariaand HIV.They have a wide range of facilities includinga Malaria clinic, an HIV ward (currentlyLMED Kasey Munroe in the Children’s ward176 active HIV patients) a Tuberculosis area,as well as a lot of GP-type services, sexualhealth clinics, paediatrics, ear, nose andthroat specialists, optometrists and an operatingtheatre.We were shown through the 10-bed IntensiveCare Unit for adults which again provideda strong contrast to NZ - the ‘air-conditioning’consisted of a lot of fans which despite theheat somehow made the area cool, and theyhave only one nurse working the ICU room(compared to the 1:1 nurse to patient ratiowe aim for at home). The conditions mostlyencountered in the ICU are congestive heartfailure and renal failure.Then we visited the children’s ward, andthe doctor there was fantastic. She took usaround to meet the children; there were somany little cuties! In particular one little boywith leukaemia had a smile that just meltedmy heart.Other kiddies had kidney infections (nephritis)viral illness, bone infections (ostemylitis)and fevers reaching high levels causinginfantile convulsions, which was upsettingto see.Another thing that struck me was the completelack of privacy throughout the entirehospital. There were no curtains to be drawnwhen being examined, and people were ableto stand looking in a door while the doctorsconducted their examinations.With such a range of contrasts to be observed,and so many smiles to steal myheart, what had started out as a book deliveryhad become a journey in my education asa medical health professional - an awesomeexperience!12 NT123JULY07 WWW.NAVY.MIL.NZWWW.NAVY.MIL.NZNT123JULY07 13