If the plan conceptualised by the medical education department is brought into reality then the accident victims and other serious patients from far-flung areas of the State could be airlifted directly to the associated hospital of the Doon Medical College. The department is planning to construct a helipad on top of the hospital so that the trauma patients are provided medical aid within a short span of time.
The director Medical Education, Dr Ashutosh Syana informed The Pioneer that possibilities are being explored to construct a helipad on top of the Operation Theatre (OT) / Intensive Care Unit (ICU) complex which is coming up in the hospital premises. “We have held discussions with the architect and engineers of the project and a final proposal for helipad would soon be sent to the government for approval,’’ he said.
Syana also added that the number of beds in the associated hospital would be increased progressively to more than 700 in next three to four years. He informed that at present the hospital conforms to the norms for the letter of Permission (lOP) stage which mandates 300 beds with 17 units.
If the proposal for helipad would be approved than it would be a great boon for the accident victims and serious patients in far flung areas of the mountainous State where large number of people lose their lives even before they reach hospital due to the long travelling time by the road.
It is worth mentioning here that the State Government from last four years is mulling over a plan to start air ambulance service in the State to airlift accident victims and serious patients but the plan is yet to see the light of the day.
The State Head of GVK EMRI 108 Ambulance service, Manish Tinku said that the plan to construct a helipad in the associated hospital of DMC is step in right direction. He said that the air ambulance service is not available with GVK EMRI right now but added that it is fully prepared to operate the service when the air ambulance is made available.