In the West, HEMS takes off in three minutes after emergency call, thanks to dedicated regulations for emergency flights. This is yet to be achieved in India. HEMS are a crucial element in saving precious lives. All stakeholders must work together to take on this national challenge and social responsibility.
Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) are well established in Europe and Asia but are still considered an expensive tool for the affluent. However, with increasing awareness, more countries are beginning to appreciate its benefits. In India, where rural areas are hard to reach and cities congested, emergency medical services (EMS) cannot be provided quickly enough. Here, annually 1.3 lakh people die and five lakh are injured in road accidents caused by poor infrastructure/transportation facility, lack of hospitals near highways and drunken/rash driving. Over 80 per cent of victims do not get medical care within one-hour of the accident and 30 per cent die before they reach a hospital.
Helicopters –a Luxury?
The cost of owning and operating helicopters, especially one equipped with medical equipment, is high. However, helicopters help save lives and actually reduce costs. In terms of time-saving, the efficiency of helicopters is not in doubt. In congested areas, journey time by road can be as much as eight times than by a helicopter. A study in Germany established the cost-efficiency of HEMS beyond any doubt. Researchers at Clark University tested the cost of HEMS versus ground units through a model that replaced the helicopter service with a hypothetical ground-based system. Assuming similar response time and staff, the ground network covering the same service area, required a budget twice that of the HEMS, with perpatient cost being 60 per cent higher.
HEMS-Designed Helicopters
Platforms for HEMS should have excellent visibility, energy absorbing seats, manoeuvrability, compact design, large cabin volume, excellent ground clearance of main rotor and protected tail rotor, modern instrument panel and skid landing gear. Based on these requirements, Eurocopter, the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer, is designing helicopters especially for HEMS. Eurocopter has achieved great success in this segment, delivering two out of every three helicopters for HEMS in the last decade. Its light twinengine models, EC135 and EC145, have been especially popular for HEMS today. Their unique features are two large side and rear doors facilitating loading of stretcher, flat floor for loading of oversize equipment and easy adaptation to customers’ needs. Eurocopter has delivered its 1,000th EC135 to ADAC in July 2011, the largest HEMS operator in Europe with a fleet of 51 aircraft, including BK117 and EC145 models. As its President Peter Meyer said, “Its performance has enabled us to establish a national network of EMS providers that is without parallel in Germany and serves as an example for similar services elsewhere.”
