Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla stated that the 'PM Shri Air Ambulance Service' is a vital initiative aimed at providing advanced medical services to citizens during emergencies. The availability of timely and adequate medical assistance can save numerous lives. Deputy Chief Minister Shukla during a meeting at Mantralaya Vallabh Bhawan, instructed departmental officers to enhance the operational efficiency of the PM Shri Ambulance Service and to raise public awareness about the service's availability.. Additional Chief Secretary Health and Medical Education Mohd Suleman, Principal Secretary Vivek Porwal and MD NHM Priyanka Das were present in the meeting along with the departmental officers.

In the meeting, it was stated that the PM Shri Air Ambulance Service will respond to medical emergencies in remote areas with challenging geography. The service will also be available for cases requiring specialized medical facilities or experts. Patients will be airlifted to advanced medical centers after their condition is stabilized using advanced emergency medicine.

The PM Shri Air Ambulance Service will offer air transport for the prompt treatment of individuals who are seriously injured in road accidents, industrial incidents, and natural disasters. For patients suffering from heart-related conditions or other severe illnesses requiring immediate medical attention, the service will provide rapid transport to top-tier medical institutions for urgent care.

To operate the Air Ambulance Service, one 'Heli Ambulance' and one 'Fixed Wing Converted Flying Ambulance' have been launched, serving citizens across all districts and administrative departments of the state. A team of highly trained medical and paramedical staff will be on board at all times. Depending on medical needs, patients from the state will be transported to advanced medical institutions in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, or other leading medical centers in the country.

Eligibility

The victim of road and industrial accident or natural disaster will be transported free of cost to government or private hospitals within and outside the state. For the treatment of Ayushman card holders, free transportation will be provided to all government and Ayushman affiliated hospitals within and outside the state. For the treatment of other beneficiaries who are not Ayushman card holders, free transportation will be provided to government hospitals located within the state, while to any hospital outside the state, paid transportation will be provided at the contracted rate.

Transportation of patient/victim by air ambulance will be undertaken in case of emergency health condition (80 types). Air ambulance service will be for transporting to the recommended hospital. Under the 'PM Shri Air Ambulance' service, during air transportation, provision of accident insurance of Rs 50 lakh for the patient/victim and accident insurance of Rs 25 lakh for third party and accident insurance of Rs 25 lakh for third party damage is provided by the service provider.

In case of paid service, the service providing agency will have to pay Rs 1,94,500 per hour (flying hour) for helicopter and Rs. 1,78,900 per hour (flying hour) for fixed wing converted flying ambulance.

Nodal officer for the facility of air ambulance service

In case of accident/disaster, the District Collector will be able to give approval within the division on the recommendation of the Chief Medical and Health Officer of the district for free transportation of the victim within the division and approval for going outside the division will be given by the Health Commissioner.