Eurocopter, the world’s largest helicopter manufacturer is proud to announce its participation in the National Seminar on Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) organized on Tuesday, 28th September at 11:00am at the ROYAL GARDENIA, BANGALORE. The event organized by the Rotary wing Society of India focussed on the challenges and prospects of HEMS in Europe and how it can translate in the Indian market.

The use of helicopter for rescue and medical transportation drastically increases medical efficiency by saving time, removing obstacles and reducing risk. Recently in Nepal six mountaineers were saved by a Eurocopter HEMS helicopter when they were trapped at 6900m altitude. Such a rescue remains a distant reality for India.

While HEMS is well developed in European countries and in the US as well as some countries of South America, Middle East and Asia, India has not been able to create a conducive environment for such operations. Eurocopter as the worldwide leading manufacturer for HEMS platforms is very pleased to present its OEM view at the National HEMS Seminar being organized by the Rotor Wing Society of India.

According to Michael Rudolph, Director Market Development – Public Services & EMS at Eurocopter, “Today, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Management is gaining more and more significance around the globe in a way that the consciousness of “Human life saving” has become ubiquitous. All over India, this spirit is being noticed too and it is now time to jointly pave the way for the future. We believe that improvement of the medical scene, including the implementation of Helicopter Air Ambulance Services, particularly in urban cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and/or Bangalore, will become one of the most demanding projects of the next decades. It is a national challenge and social responsibility which both Governmental institutions and/or the private medical society must address.”

While enhancing people’s awareness about helicopters contributing to saving human lives, the industry needs to support this general implementation process by setting up a piloting project together with a consortium of private Hospitals and/or local investors aiming at establishing a Helicopter Air Ambulance Service which could become the reference for HEMS in India.

Creating and sustaining the awareness of HEMS in the country means, the principles must be understood first. Given the significantly increasing population, today‘s Eco system, medical scenery and specificities have to be assessed in a second step in order to identify local geo-graphical constraints, needs, risks and opportunities.

Eurocopter believes that a national concept for the implementation of a “turn-key project” for HEMS, SAR and Disaster Management needs to be commonly worked out based on international standards. Reference operational models, running in Central Europe, Asia/Pacific and the U.S. are seen as a good baseline to further develop HEMS in India on a mid-term.

Through the exhibition, Eurocopter wants to address this issue and connect with Indian hospitals, insurance companies, EMS services and operators who can benefit from Eurocopter’s strong experience around the world. Currently, 8 out of every 10 emergency medical services helicopters are Eurocopter’s. In addition to that, the Eurocopter helicopters are the only ones that have been ‘designed’ for HEMS, with large cabin, rear and slide access to easier stretcher loading, protected tail rotor and lowest noise signature of the world and are capable of flying at varied altitudes and under the most challenging of conditions.