Air ambulance launched in Bangalore

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has launched a specially designed Chetak helicopter, which will serve as an air ambulance for emergency medical evacuation of patients from areas around Bangalore to super-speciality hospitals in the City equipped with a helipad.

Named as Vayu Vahan, the fully-equipped helicopter is Bangalore’s first air ambulance pressed into service for medical evacuation.

HAL Chairman Ashok Baweja formally inaugurated the operations of the Vayu Vahan at the Rotary Wing Academy situated at Bangalore airport complex recently. “We are extending this facility to all persons, organizations and hospitals. That too for Rs 25,000 per flying hour, less than half the price charged by a private helicopter operator”, Baweja said.

He said the launch of the air ambulance service in keeping with the unparalleled growth in the aviation sector in India. “This initiative would bring the aviation industry to the doorstep of the masses. The concept of air ambulance is very popular abroad and the need for it in India has been felt by the medical fraternity for quite some time”, he said.

“We can pick up any emergency case around Bangalore and bring the patient to a hospital, where there is a helipad or bring him to the airport from where the ambulance can come and pick them”, Chief Test Pilot, HAL, C D Upadhyay said.

An air ambulance can eventually turn out to be life-saver when the Golden Hour keeps ticking away in the midst of the traffic quagmire like Bangalore City.

Though the concept of air ambulance is new to Bangalore, experts said there are an estimated 800 dedicated private medical helicopters in the US and nearly 300,000 patients are transported in air ambulances every year. While fifty per cent of them are shifted from accident sits to hospitals, the remaining are shifted from smaller hospitals to major centers.

Nearly 95 per cent of the US population is understood to be within 30 minute response of medical helicopter service. One helicopter can serve a radius of 200 miles.

In India, however, there are barely 150 helicopters and very few hospitals or high rise buildings have helipads, experts said.