Pilots Punam Bharadwaj and T.P. Ashok, former defence aviators, will don the role of lifesavers when a city-based pilot training firm launches what it claims to be the first air ambulance in the region.
On Saturday, Wings Aviation Private Limited showed off its newly acquired Agusta Westland 109C, a six-year-old helicopter popularly registered as VT-ICU, demonstrating how it would ferry a patient to a health centre. The ambulance has basic life-saving equipment and paramedical staff.
The air ambulance, operating under the brand name Air Aid, would be stationed at Begumpet airport from where it would respond to distress calls from within a 500-km radius. “We have been receiving around 15 enquiry calls every day that led us to launch our ambulance service. While for now we are launching the service on a cost-to-cost basis, we are hopeful it can be taken to the masses with assistance from the government and insurance companies,” said Y. Prabhakar Reddy, the company’s Chief Managing Director.
To avail the service, a patient has to pay ₹ 1.5 lakh for an hour. Mr. Reddy said the demand for their service is mainly being driven by patients in towns and villages who wish to be transported to Hyderabad or other larger cities with better healthcare facilities.
Response time
Capt. Bharadwaj said the response time would be 30 minutes apart from the travel time.
Landing in any part of the State will not be a problem, he added, while saying that a go-ahead from air-traffic controllers is often instantly given when requested.
Mr. Reddy said his company plans to invest ₹150 crore over 10 months to acquire six more choppers.
