Apollo Hospital Enterprises (AHE) inked a pact with Deccan Aviation to launch its first of its kind air ambulance service in Bangalore. The dedicated helicopter will now transfer patients from rural areas and airlift them to the nearest hospital or to the Bangalore facility which is a 250-bed multi specialty tertiary care. The hospital has a landing area which prompted them to make the best of the emergency service. The service is open to air lift patients from any part of the country.

The service is available at the patient's service for Rs. 75,000 per hour and Rs 1 to Rs 2 lakh to be air lifted depending on the distance. The hospital is also in talks with the insurance providers to explore the possibility of a dedicated scheme for the public to avail the service at an affordable cost, stated Sangita Reddy executive director, Apollo Hospital Enterprises.

The air ambulance is already made AHE already offering the air ambulance service through Deccan Aviation at its hospital in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkotta and Hyderabad which is already. The group also a Stanford certification training programme for its paramedical staff who will be part of the air ambulance force and the road ambulance service. It also has motorbikes manned by paramedics to rush to the accident site to provide the immediate medical attention.

According to Capt. GR Gopinath, executive chairman, Deccan Aviation, golden hour care is vital during an emergency and there is an urgent need to plug this gap by providing immediate medical assistance which also includes air handling or medial evacuation by air.

Deccan Aviation pioneered the service in 1998 and has been providing support to the Comprehensive Trauma Care (CTC) a non-profit organization for air lifting patients and accident victims.

Insurance companies need to step in to provide a coverage for air ambulance services on similar lines that of western world.

The third party administrator health insurance provider is ready to associate with Apollo Hospital and provide a scheme for the air ambulance operations, stated Madhavan, CEO, MediAssist India.