GR Gopinath gets 2-yr contract for air medical evacuation services

Bangalore: Captain GR Gopinath's Deccan Charters has won a two-year contract from global emergency service-provider International SOS, in a deal valued between Rs 1-2 crore, to provide air medical evacuation services across India. This service is focussed on high net worth individuals, executives and business dons. All of Deccan’s fixed wing aircraft and helicopters will be harnessed by International SOS to airlift patients from anywhere in India and the neighbouring regions.
"In the past two years, the number of requests to airlift patients from smaller cities in India to metros and to international destinations has been increasing", Mr Gopinath said. "This contract will help us offer air evacuation services, create awareness and develop the market", he said. Industry experts say that medical evacuation services will develop into a Rs 300-crore business in India in the next 2-3 years.
Deccan gets 2-3 requests per week for medical evacuation and hopes that this number will grow to 15 per week. Sources said that Deccan recently evacuated a top executive of one of the world’s largest automaker company.
As of now, Deccan has parked two single-engine turboprop passenger (executive) and cargo aircraft Pilatus PC-12 in Mumbai and Delhi for use by International SOS. The Pilatus PC-12 is fitted with a range of mobile equipment needed to tackle critical injuries or acute illnesses even while the patient I being airlifted.
05/11/09 Peerzada Abrar/Economic Times

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Categories: Deccan Aviation Nov 2009, New Nov 2009