Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Critical for India
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Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) -2
Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS)
-- There is urgent need to have dedicated civilian helicopter resources in every state as a rapid response for emergency air evacuation requirements. Presently helicopters from the Defence Services are employed to provide air evacuation in natural disasters and other emergencies. Generally, armed forces helicopters are mobilized from the helicopter units located nearest to the location where the event may have occurred. In many cases helicopter resources, if not available within the state, take as much as 24 to 48 hours to arrive at the scene.
The helicopter deployed by the Army to facilitate evacuations, is not an Air Ambulance and therefore cannot offer any specialized medical treatment within the "Golden Hour" for Trauma; obstetric or medical emergency. At best only basic First Aid is being provided.
"The "Golden hour" is the first hour of the medical event wherein the human body system goes haywire and immediate reversals are required to prevent irreversible damage and in case of Trauma to prevent irreparable damage maiming or disability", as said by Dr. G. Sairamanan, M.D., Critical Care expert from Chennai. This becomes all the more important in case of ophthalmic injury wherein permanent vision impairment has to be prevented.
The Golden Hour intervention in case of a burn injury would help in complete recovery within 3 to 6 months without any scarring. A case study will be illustrated during the "HEMS is a reality presentation during RWSI Helipower India 2010 conference on 13th February 2010 at 12:35 pm.
The HEMS helicopter is more than an Air Ambulance. It has an Air born ICU and Trauma care equipment on board with HEMS trained personnel following international protocol of HEMS units. It also follows Indian protocol as prescribed by the Indian DGCA.
A study of response to disaster management around the world shows that in major situations requiring timely intervention helicopters have proved most effective In the Chernobyl disaster, over 1800 helicopter sorties were flown to extinguish the fire and contain the damage to the populated areas surrounding the burning reactor. During the Los Angeles earthquake helicopters were deployed within minutes of the disaster resulting in saving innumerable lives and helping the governments better manage administration of relief. However, in absence of availability of properly equipped HEMS, the speed and effectiveness of response to such calamities is severely limited.
"It is therefore important that a city like Delhi which is hosting the Commonwealth Games this year, puts into place a HEMS network. This will require trained personnel including aircrew, paramedics and technicians, as well as infrastructures including Public Use Heliports, Roof Top Helipads, and Refueling Facilities", advised AVM Sridharan, VM(G), President of the Rotary Wing Society of India (RWSI). The RWSI has been the driving force behind HEMS and have been asking companies to include it as an important chapter in their bit of Corporate Social Responsibilities.
Responding to this need, OSS Air Management announced that OSS was ready to import Agusta HEMS helicopters especially modified for Emergency Medical Services into India. The specially fitted Agusta HEMS would enable healthcare organisations and government departments to reach out with HEMS in the country using the OSS helicopter as their carrier. OSS Air Management is the service provider for India of the world's leading helicopter manufacturer, AGUSTA, S p A of Italy.
OSS would immediately apply to the regulatory authorities for permission to import the Agusta HEMS helicopter. And it intends to make the helicopter available to the government or organisations wanting to provide HEMS services on charter basis. This will save them the necessity of outright investment in the equipment.
