Airbus has entered an agreement with Airlift Global, a company backed by United Kingdom-based AUM Capital, to foster helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and associated air medical services in India.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at Wings India 2022, India’s flagship civil aviation event, on Friday.
Under the partnership, Airbus and Airlift Global will collaborate to develop a pilot project integrating air ambulance and medical emergency services, aimed at improved healthcare accessibility and connectivity in both urban and rural environments of India.
“HEMS is a globally established best practice. There is an urgent need for this service in India. HEMS can save lives by ferrying patients and/or accident victims within the ‘Golden Hour’, help in organ transportation and taking healthcare to the remotest parts of our country,” said Sunny Guglani, Head of Airbus Helicopters, Airbus India and South Asia.
“A HEMS ecosystem needs to be built in India in partnership with government bodies, global service providers and helicopter OEMs. Our partnership with Airlift Global is a step in the direction of developing this critical segment of healthcare in India.”
Jayeis B Sonill of Airlift Global said, “The UK has a long history of HEMS and we look forward to sharing our insights and expertise for the common societal good.”
About 70% of India’s population lives in rural areas with limited access to quick and quality healthcare. Helicopters can bridge this gap by not only transporting patients from rural areas to equipped hospitals but also transporting medical teams to remote locations, a press statement said.
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