Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Wednesday, Oct 19, 2005
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, Oct 19, 2005 |
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Airlines Corporate - Alliances & Joint Ventures Industry & Economy - Health Air ambulance services — Escorts Heart Institute in pact with Deccan Aviation Our Bureau
LATEST MEDICAL AID: Dr Naresh Trehan (centre), Executive Director, Escorts Heart Institute & Research Centre, with Capt. G.R. Gopinath (left), MD, Deccan Aviation, and Mr Harpal Singh, Chairman, Fortis Healthcare Ltd, at the launch of `Air Rescue One' in the Capital on Tuesday. — Ramesh Sharma
New Delhi , Oct. 18 ESCORTS Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC) has tied up with Deccan Aviation to launch air ambulance services, called Air Rescue One in the country. Announcing this initiative, Dr Naresh Trehan, Executive Director, EHIRC, said, "We feel that this air ambulance service will help save many lives and also bridge the metro and semi-urban/rural divide by taking world-class treatment facilities to areas that are in need of it." Capt Gopinath, Managing Director, Deccan Aviation, added that so far this was being done in an ad hoc manner. "Creating this service will ensure that the drug, the right equipment is available for trauma care in time." A back-up fleet of eight helicopters and two Pilatus P12 aircraft will support the initiative. Talks are also on with insurance companies to include this service in their cover. "We have approached New India Assurance on this cover and hope that a product will be developed soon," said Capt Gopinath. While Escorts will provide the medical support for a fixed fee of about Rs 30,000, the cost of flying the patient will depend on the distance. "As more patients use the service, we expect the cost to come down," said Dr Trehan. However, an initial 15 per cent discount is being offered. Depending on the response, Deccan Aviation will consider posting a dedicated fleet for service. Fortis to continue with Escorts brand name: Fortis Healthcare Ltd is not in a hurry to rebrand its recent hospital acquisition and will continue to use the EHIRC brand name. "We will continue with the existing brand name and will not change it immediately. When we acquired the hospitals, we acquired the brand name too," Mr Harpal Singh, Chairman, Fortis, told Business Line. He was also optimistic that the company would be able to tide over legal problems. "The dispute is between the two brothers and we have nothing to do with it," said Mr Singh.
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