Coming soon: Affordable air ambulances in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Air ambulances will soon be available at affordable prices to tackle medical emergencies.
All it takes is Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 to airlift a registered patient from one city to another within a short duration. Chartered flights charge between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 15 lakh to airlift patients.
The pilot project of Aviators Air Rescue Private Ltd will have dedicated paramedical staff trained in emergency medicine.
GVK-EMRI, which provides road ambulance services, has joined hands with the Aviators to pick up patients from hospital to the air ambulance, and provide first- and last-mile connectivity.
However, the project is yet to get a nod from the Director General of Civil Aviation. "There is a need to bring in amendments to existing rules. The pilot of the air ambulance must be given a choice to land the aircraft in a suitable place close to the hospital," said the company promoter Arun Sharma. The plan is to introduce 50 air ambulances across India.
Three helicopters will be operational from around October to cover the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. More expected to be introduced during 2016 for nationwide coverage.
Med Trans Corporation from the US, provider of air medical services, will be in charge of financial, technical and operational expertise.

That the air ambulance service can soon be utilized by the common man and not just VIPs and the uber rich is welcome. The move will ensure that critically ill patients can be flown in from remote areas to cities with far more advanced medical facilities. Unlike road ambulances, for whom it is a Herculean task to reach hospitals on time, users of the high-flying service don't have to be at the mercy of slow-moving traffic. Provided it gets the requisite approval, the initiative will help save citizens' money and more importantly, their lives.