Mumbai: The country’s emergency medicine service could be taking wing with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) considering the approval of a chopper ambulance service to land on roads and highways.
However, pricing of the air ambulance service remains a key concern in Maharashtra where the State government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with city-based MAB Aviation Pvt. Ltd. during the Make in India week held here in February.
And even as hospitals battle the dilemma of whether or not to use the ambulance service, the cost of which could range from Rs 2.5 lakh to up to Rs 18 lakh depending on the distance, there is hope. Insurance firms might just cover transport of patients to hospitals in their health insurance policies, an MAB official said.
“Not a single insurance company covers the cost of transport of patients,” said Mandar Bharde, managing director of MAB. “We have been in talks with three major insurance companies, both government and private, and things are looking positive. Once the insurance kicks in, price will not be a concern.”
Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday, Mr Bharde said that unlike developed nations such as Australia, UK and Canada where the patient’s transport to the hospital is covered by the insurance company, it is not so in India as insurance firms pertinently ask about the infrastructure in place to justify the cost. “We will have a fleet of 10 aircraft that we will fly as ambulances across the country,” he said. Currently, the aviation firm uses aircrafts procured from a third party.
20/06/16 Roli Srivastava/The Hindu
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However, pricing of the air ambulance service remains a key concern in Maharashtra where the State government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with city-based MAB Aviation Pvt. Ltd. during the Make in India week held here in February.
And even as hospitals battle the dilemma of whether or not to use the ambulance service, the cost of which could range from Rs 2.5 lakh to up to Rs 18 lakh depending on the distance, there is hope. Insurance firms might just cover transport of patients to hospitals in their health insurance policies, an MAB official said.
“Not a single insurance company covers the cost of transport of patients,” said Mandar Bharde, managing director of MAB. “We have been in talks with three major insurance companies, both government and private, and things are looking positive. Once the insurance kicks in, price will not be a concern.”
Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday, Mr Bharde said that unlike developed nations such as Australia, UK and Canada where the patient’s transport to the hospital is covered by the insurance company, it is not so in India as insurance firms pertinently ask about the infrastructure in place to justify the cost. “We will have a fleet of 10 aircraft that we will fly as ambulances across the country,” he said. Currently, the aviation firm uses aircrafts procured from a third party.
20/06/16 Roli Srivastava/The Hindu
