Bengaluru firm in talks with A.P. govt. to launch helicopter emergency medical services in State 

International Critical Care Air Transfer Team (ICATT), a Bengaluru-based air ambulance services company, initiated discussions with the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) for launching its integrated helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) to fast-track trauma care services in the State.

It conducted aero-medical drills in several Indian cities and is collaborating with the GoAP and leading tertiary hospitals to showcase HEMS, according to an official release. 

ICATT deploys flying ICUs — helicopters and aircraft equipped with advanced ICU infrastructure, surgical tools, and a trained aero-medical team. These airborne units are capable of delivering critical care at the site of trauma, particularly along highways, rural belts, and semi-urban areas, within the crucial golden hour, significantly improving the chances of survival for accident victims. 

Under HEMS, trauma victims and critically ill patients will be airlifted free of cost, ensuring timely access to lifesaving care. ICATT’s air ambulance service, which is an India-specific adaptation of the U.K.’s HEMS model, has been successfully operating the government-funded PM Shri Air Ambulance Seva in Madhya Pradesh (M.P.). ICATT planned to replicate that model in other States by bringing together key departments including Fire Services, Police, and first-responder ambulance units to form a seamless emergency medical network.

Prior to the M.P. contract, ICATT conducted aero-medical rescue operations in the deep jungles of the southern parts of Chhattisgarh and saved the lives of CRPF jawans who were fighting the Naxalites. 

ICATT founding directors Rahul Singh Sardar and Shalini Nalwad stated that HEMS represents a significant disruption in the emergency care landscape. In countries like the U.S.A., U.K., and across Europe, air ambulance teams were a standard part of trauma care. 

ICATT would bring to India the same global standard of care, where such services were not just desirable but essential. With access to advanced medical facilities still limited in many parts of the country, it (ICATT) believes that the introduction of HEMS would play a crucial role in reducing road accident fatalities and improving emergency response outcomes.