Question : Air Ambulance

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that a large number of human life lost due to lack of speedy transportation during emergency situations like natural calamities and emergency organ transplant cases;

(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government has any consideration for implementing air ambulance to mitigate this issue;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the other measures being initiated by the Government to tackle such a situation?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) & (b): Government is aware that speedy transfer during emergency situations like natural calamities and emergency organ transplant cases etc. has the potential to prevent human death in such settings.


(c) & (d): Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has no proposal to start air ambulance services.



(e): Government of India under the system strengthening has 9305 Dial-108 ambulances and 10,589 Dial-102/104 ambulances under National Health Mission, which are pre-positioned for pre-hospital medical patient transfer/referral services for medical, surgical (including trauma), Paediatrics and obstetric emergencies. Besides, there are 5957 empaneled vehicles for transportation of patients, particularly pregnant women and sick infants from home to public health facilities and back.

Government provides financial support to states for improving infrastructure for undertaking organ retrieval, transplantation and tissue banking. The aim is to allocate organs locally and within the State, as far as possible to minimize the requirement of transportation of organs.