New policy makes emergency airlift easy

The newly announced civil aviation policy has made medical evacuation at remote places and highways easy.

According to sources, the new policy has made airlifting easy by eschewing the need to take permission from local authorities like collector or police for landing on non runway areas during emergency. It authorises aviation officials and charter operator to take a call on landing the aircraft in areas where medical assistance is needed.

According to sources from directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), it is now in the process of formulating rules to implement the policy.

President of Rotary Wing Society of India (RWSI), western region, Uday Gelli, said medical evacuation required ferrying the injured to the nearest hospital. “This is called hospital emergency medical services (HEMS). This team is equipped with doctors and medical assistants to treat the patient at the spot where he/she was picked up,” said Mr Gelli.

An aviation expert said that mostly twin-engine aircrafts are used for such emergency as single engines can fly only during the day and needs better visual conditions. “So, if one wants to conduct a medical evacuation at night, one has to use a twin-engine helicopter,” he said.

According to DGCA rules, a helicopter can fly only when the flight path is submitted to and approved by the authorities. However, there was no provision for a sudden emergency. Therefore, in the recently announced civil aviation policy, the government has given helicopter evacuation a green signal.

According to the DGCA sources, operators who want to provide airlift or medical evacuation facility needs to get registered first and then have to demonstrate that their helicopter meets the requirement and is marked as HEMS. “However, the pilot will be the only person who will take a final decision on the safety of the place for landing,” said a source.