Air ambulances becoming more popular
Posted on: 19/Mar/2016 11:43:48 AM
Many jets are now being used for medical evacuation. Charter airlines ferry patients to Indian hospitals from places such as Iraq and Afghanistan and countries in Africa.
Says a senior official from Club One Air, Medical evacuation is slowly picking up in India. We use our charter flights to ferry patients in India and also from places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, where medical facilities are not great.
For a primary medical evacuation or during the Golden Hour, which is the crucial time, fixed wing aircraft and helicopters are used as air ambulances. For a secondary medical evacuation, which is where a patient is critical but not life threatening, private jets are used for medium haul flights to other countries. These work for foreign patients usually.
An official of Dassault Aviation says, (Our) company has a special medical module for Falcon, which can be converted into an air ambulance. Our Falcon 2000 has an advanced medical evacuation module. We are seeing some interest in the market. Currently, we are in discussion with our prospective customers in Southeast Asia.
Indian corporate hospitals such as Max and Apollo are usually the ones that are contacted for these purposes. They charter flights for medical evacuation. The service costs between Rs. 1.5 and 2 lakh.
There are some companies that follow the health insurance model to make the service affordable. One of these is Aviators Air Rescue which is based in Bengaluru. They have tied up with the world’s largest air ambulance firm Air Medical Group Holdings or AMGH.
An official from Deccan says, (There is an) increased incidence of organ donation has increased the use of charter aircraft. As an organ has to reach the recipient within a short time, many people are opting for air ambulances.
