The Comprehensive Trauma Care (CTC) is now in discussion with the medical insurance companies to include air ambulance evacuation to be built into the premium of health insurances services. In this way patients will be able to utilize the service to ensure faster access to hospitals and save patients in critical conditions.

The discussion comes in the wake of the aircraft major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)'s introduction of 'Vayu Vahan' a specially designed Chetak helicopter which will be made available to healthcare providers during a medical emergency.

In order to give a fillip to air ambulance services in the country, CTC has started talks with insurance companies to evolve a system where the patients would be able to avail the services by paying his or her premium, said Gururaj Rao, CTC Trustee and Project coordinator.

While HAL has already identified several spots in Bangalore in close proximity to the major hospitals in Bangalore to land and transfer patients, CTC is now making sure that such a service is properly utilized by the people in Karnataka.

According to Wg. Cdr. CD Upadhyay, chief test pilot, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the problem is that the hospital will not foot the bill. HAL is charging Rs 25,000 per hour compared to Rs. 55,000 for a normal charter. The CTC has been able to carry out its rescues only on support from patients and organizations which are ready to foot the bill. In the last two years, CTC has carried out 14 rescues on chartered helicopters.

Incidentally, the cost of Vayu Vahan's recent rescue of a Japanese tourist from Badami in North Karnataka to Wockhardt Hospital was paid by a Japanese Insurance company. Our aim is to set up a model system in Bangalore and some policy has to be evolved in this regard, Wg. Cdr. Upadhyay further said.

Hospital representatives from Manipal, Wockhardt, Ramaiah Memorial, Columbia, Apollo and Sagar stated that there is a need for ample awareness about the air ambulance service and its access. The main task is to educate the public. There is a serious lack of information about the service on issues like whom to contact and for what serious conditions.

In the age of traffic jams bogging the city dwellers, the air ambulance would definitely reach faster but it needs to be used in appropriate circumstances, Rao said.