Dehradun: India’s first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) will be started from Uttarakhand, Union aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday.

Scindia on X informed that a helicopter will be deployed at All Indian Institute of Medical Science in Rishikesh from where it can be sent anywhere within a radius area of 150 km to airlift the people to the hospital.

He said that HEMS would operate under project ‘Sanjeevani’. The helicopter is being assembled at present and is under the certification process. “Assembly and certification of the helicopter to be deployed for the purpose is underway. It is on my dashboard. It is entirely my concern now not yours,” Scindia said.

The development comes a day after Scindia virtually inaugurated the newly constructed terminal building (phase-2) at Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun along with chief minster Pushkar Singh Dhami, who joined the event from Jolly Grant Airport.

Scindia said the terminal built at a cost of ₹486 crore will be capable of serving 3,240 passengers during peak hours and 4.7 million passengers annually.

Elaborating on efforts to improve air connectivity in the state, Scindia said, “The government is upgrading three airports in Uttarakhand which include Dehradun, Pant Nagar, Pithoragarh.” The number of heliports will be increased to 21 in the upcoming years, he said.

In December, the Uttarakhand cabinet approved Uttarakhand Helipad and Heliport Policy 2023 to meet the challenges in accessing remote areas in the hilly regions of the state, especially where emergency medical and disaster-related services are required.

The policy was proposed by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), which is the nodal body for the development of civil aviation infrastructure and ecosystems in the state. The policy has been prepared under the Empowered Uttarakhand Mission of the state government.

Source: Hindustan Times