Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the helipad at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh on Tuesday. This development will now enable seriously ill and persons injured in accidents to be brought by helicopter directly to AIIMS. Training has been provided for this at the institute.

After landing of the helicopter it will take nine minutes to transport the patient in an ambulance to the trauma centre. Rawat said that the mountain state is more prone to disasters and accidents.

In the past three years, the lives of more than 100 people have been saved by transporting them to the hospital by helicopter. Rawat further said that AIIMS Rishikesh is the nation’s first institute to have a helipad on campus. Addressing doctors of the institute, he asked the senior doctors to take special care of Covid-19 patients. He also expressed concern at the way Covid was changing its form. He appreciated the doctors, sanitation workers and all others working in the field to tackle the Covid pandemic.

Along with examination of patients, it is also important to keep them psychologically strong. He further said that AIIMS Rishikesh should be able to reach patients in remote areas too. The institute doctors also conducted a mock drill demonstrating the transporting of a patient from the helipad to the trauma centre.

Vidhan Sabha speaker and Rishikesh MLA Prem Chand Agrawal, Rishikesh mayor Anita Mamgai, AIIMS director Ravi Kant and others were also present on the occasion.