THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The state government was taking efforts to launch a government-controlled heli-ambulance service in the state, Health Minister V S Sivakumar said on Saturday.
“A private service provider has submitted a proposal. The Health Secretary has been asked to study the proposal and submit a report,” he told mediapersons here.
The government had plans to use the heli-ambulance service for organ transplant and emergency transportation of seriously ill patients.
The proposal by the Kochi-based company was to provide the heli-ambulance service for Rs 2 lakh an hour. The government had been asked to provide support for transporting the organ or patient to the helipad in both the destinations. The state should also permit the heli-ambulance to use the helipads identified by the Disaster Management Cell in every district.
Health Secretary K Ellangovan said his report would be based on the recommendations of the Kerala Network for Organ Sharing (KNOS), the government-controlled regulatory mechanism for organ transplant activities.
“We have studied the proposal and will submit our recommendations to the Health Department soon. Our report will have standard operating procedures to be followed in such cases,” said KNOS state nodal officer Dr Noble Gracious.
“For example, the state should do the traffic control between the hospital concerned and the helipad. Also, the hospitals have to provide the doctors or other paramedical staff who will accompany the organ or patients,” he said.
Condition of Achadan Stable
Kochi: The condition of Mathew Achadan, on whom the heart removed from Neelakanda Sharma was transplanted, is stable, said cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram at Lisie Hospital who led the surgery. “His condition is stable. He will be put on ventilator till Monday morning. The first phase of the surgery was successful. There is rare chance for any complications in such cases,’’ said Dr Jose