The role of Helicopter Ambulance Services in the medical sector - Helipads required in each district
Posted on: 17/Jul/2017 12:55:23 PM
Two private hospitals in Chennai and Coimbatore have commenced their helicopter ambulance services last month.
Following this, there is a great public expectation that helipads will have to be set up in each district to attend the emergency medical cases.
Chennai, with its multiple hospitals of multi-specialties, has become the medical tourism centre. Patients from all over the world visit Chennai, Trichy, and Coimbatore to undergo medical treatment.
Though there are very many disputes and issues to be settled between India and Pakistan, a large number of patients come from Pakistan to have medical treatment in the private hospital in Coimbatore.
There are private hospitals which provide world-class medical treatment in Chennai and Coimbatore on complaints related to heart, bone fracture, kidney, and lungs.
Though the state of Tamil Nadu has achieved excellent standards in medical services, it is still difficult to quickly take the patient to the hospital in cases of accidents or heart attacks for immediate attention from the experts.
Helicopter ambulance
Though the patients needing urgent medical attention are taken by ambulance on road, there are instances of delay in reaching the hospital leading to the loss of lives.
With a view to solving this time-saving requirement for urgent medical attention, 2 private hospitals in Tamil Nadu have introduced Helicopter Ambulance Services.
Apart from providing the right avenues to take the patient in the shortest time for medical attention, the helicopter ambulance services would also be useful in carrying the vital organs from one place to the hospital in the shortest time to enable the emergency medical treatment for the concerned patient awaiting the organs for transplant.
As of the present time, in case the organs of a ‘brain-dead’ individual has to be taken to hospital for emergency treatment, the only avenue is via road transport. Some special traffic clearance will be required for this vehicle to quickly reach the hospital right along the route.
In these situations, it is better to take the brain-dead individual or to organise for transplant through the air which would prevent all the difficulties encountered on road travel. Thus, helicopter ambulance services would serve to be lifesavers for the needy patients.
Helipads required in every district
Though the helicopter ambulance services have been started, presently, there are no provisions for the helicopters from Chennai and Coimbatore to reach the nearby districts as there are is no helipad facility in these districts for the helicopter to land. Even if helipad is available, it will be owned by a private party.
The secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Government Department of Health, Mr Radhakrishnan, who inaugurated the introduction of helicopter ambulance services in a Chennai Private Hospital, while addressing the gathering on this occasion, informed that the Tamil Nadu government would explore to introduce the helicopter ambulance services immediately.
The tourism Research Expert, Mr R. Pranavakumar, has emphasised the need for the government on the need to set up the modern helipads with the latest technology in each district.
He further informed that though there are very good benefits with the helicopter ambulance services, space and the helipad required for the helicopter to land is not available in most districts. The central and/or state governments should initiate immediate steps to set up modern helipads in all the district headquarters. This would facilitate some more hospitals to join the helicopter ambulance services.
Further, these new helipads would have the provision to keep a helicopter ready for any emergency. Apart from this, there are prospects of setting up the emergency treatment centres in all the multi-specialty hospitals in metro cities and the cities which have helipads.
If helipads with the latest facilities are set up in Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Karur, and Tirupur, and a ready standby helicopter is available, the patients or the organs/ brain-dead person can be taken to the hospital within an hour. This would definitely facilitate the life-saving effort of the patients needing emergency treatment.
So, in an immediate 1st phase as a project, the Tamil Nadu state government should initiate activities to set up helipads in all district headquarters and also keep a ready standby helicopter.
