CHENNAI: Saveetha Medical College and Hospital launched its helicopter air ambulance in the presence of P Ponniah, Kancheepuram Collector, on Wednesday.
According to Dr M Rajadurai, Head of Emergency Medicine Department of the college and hospital, the helicopter air ambulance will land on the hospital ground, where a helipad is available. It is the first hospital in Chennai to have a helipad on the hospital premises.
The Aviators Air Rescue Pvt Ltd, which offers emergency air medical services, will soon sign an MoU with the hospital for the operation. The Aviators also offers optional insurance cover of patients. For one hour of flying, the cost would be around `1-2 lakh per patient.
Other hospitals, including government hospitals, can also avail the helicopter air ambulance facility from the hospital for transporting patients or cadaver organs.
The idea of launching the facility is to reduce delay in treatment, as trauma is one of the leading causes of death in India.
Also, critically ill patients from remote villages can be transported to the hospital within minutes for treatment, which could otherwise take many hours, if they are transported by road.
The hospital recently got itself enrolled under the State cadaver organ transplant programme. Launching of an air ambulance is also aimed at transporting cadaver organs quickly.
The Aviators Air Rescue also conducted live demonstration ‘mission air rescue’.
Dr Saveetha Rajesh, Director, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital and Dr N M Veeraiyan,Chancellor, were also present at the event.