NEW DELHI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Indian government Thursday announced it would soon start the country's first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) from the northern state of Uttarakhand.
The announcement was made by federal civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in a video posted on his social media account.
"I want to inform the people of Uttarakhand that the country's first HEMS service will be launched from your state," Scindia said. "Assembly and certification of the helicopter to be deployed for the purpose is underway. It is on my dashboard. It is entirely my concern now not yours."
According to Scindia, a helicopter will be stationed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh and it would cater to the area within a radius of 150 km by airlifting anyone to the health facility who has met with an accident on highway or elsewhere.
HEMS is part of the government's initiative to employ helicopters for providing medical outreach and trauma care services to people living in far-flung areas. This service is aimed at providing timely transportation to accident victims and patients from hilly terrains so that they receive critical care immediately after an accident. ■