Frame insurance plans to make Air Ambulance affordable: Gopinath

Bangalore, Sep 12 (UNI) Deccan Aviation chief Capt G R Gopinath today called for a suitable insurance plan to make the Air Ambulance facility affordable to the common man.

Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Apollo Hospitals Executive Director (Operations) Sangita Reddy to launch Deccan Aviation's Air Ambulance service linking Apollo Hospitals here, Capt Gopi Nath said ''insurance companies should come forward with a suitable package under which the premium should be low to enable the needy to avail the facility in time of crisis.'' Capt Gopinath added that ''the time has come for insurance companies to provide medical insurance schemes, which covers air ambulance services, on the lines of western countries.'' He said an alarming number of accident victims succumb without getting medical help immediately within an hour of the accident.

''As air evacuations are expensive, we are in talks with insurance companies to include Air Evacuation in Medical Insurance Policies so that the services can be extended to everyone who may need the service'', Ms Reddy said.

She said while Deccan Aviation would provide helicopter and take care of aviation logistics, Apollo would provide trained personnel and medical equipment on board.

UNI