AIIMS Rishikesh to start Air Ambulance service as pilot project under Aviation Ministry of India

The Ministry of Civil Aviation will undertake the pilot project to start a Helicopter emergency medical service from All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh. The information has been made public via the official Twitter handle of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia first proposed to start the emergency medical services via helicopter at the 49th national convention of the All India Management Association (AIMA). The new project will provide a stepping stone for spreading the services and improving the medical assistance facilities all over India.

At the time, in a statement, Scindia said, "Air ambulances are soon going to be operational. A Request for Proposal will be invited in the next couple of weeks for AIIMS Rishikesh so that helicopters are pushed into service to save precious time and lives."

#AIRAmbulance at AIIMS, Rishikesh:

A boon for the masses!

@MoCA_GoI to undertake a pilot project to develop Helicopter Emergency Medical Service

To provide speedy medical outreach with-in the golden hour
#TransformingIndia #AmritMahotsav
@JM_Scindia @ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/0FFaDW2Rkq — Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) September 24, 2022

He further added, "We are working with the Road and Transport Ministry and the Health Ministry to look at Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The 'golden hour' we have for road accident victims, we can evacuate them from highways directly to the hospital, and the first centre we are looking at is AIIMS Rishikesh."

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In the vital first hour following an accident, when receiving appropriate care can mean the difference between life and death, this aircraft will be used to assist victims with life-threatening trauma.

Only 49 air ambulances are now being operated in India by 19 providers, and around 4,100 patients have used air ambulances in the last three years, according to the information given by the ministry before the Parliament in March.

The ministry sought Expressions of Interest (EoI) from air operators who could provide one single-engine or twin-engine helicopter in the capacity of an air ambulance with EMS capability for a period of six months, based on a helipad at AIIMS Rishikesh, for its trial project.