Uttarakhand: A big blow to the state government, the Center rejected the proposal of air ambulance

Even under the BJP’s double engine government, air ambulances have been forbidden in a state like Uttarakhand. This has dealt a big blow to the efforts of the state government to take the patients to the big hospitals at an accelerated pace in case of disaster and emergency.

The Center has rejected the proposal to demand air ambulance sent by the government under the National Health Mission (NHM). In case of emergency from remote areas of the state, there is the support of sticks to take the patients to the hospital. In such a situation, many times the breath of the patients breaks in half way.

The proposal for air ambulance in the state was sent to the center under NHM. The Center sent this letter to inform that air ambulance service was not allowed in NHM this year. The government had plans to start air ambulance service for critical patients and disaster.

Amit Singh Negi, Secretary Health

Health services are bad in the state, people are not getting vaccinated, vaccination should have been free. There is a shortage from doctors to nurses, the state government has not lived up to these expectations and the center has not helped the state government either. Double engine government has failed. Considering the geographical conditions of the mountain, the facility of air ambulance should have been provided.

Dr. Indira Hridayesh, Leader of the Opposition

Apart from being a hilly state, Uttarakhand is prone to disaster. There is no better health facilities in the mountains. In such a situation, the state is in dire need of air ambulances. The state government should arrange for air ambulance from its own resources. Also, this service should be included in the Ayushman scheme. So that every class of people can get the facility.

Anoop Nautiyal, President Social Development for Community Foundation

The kind of health services in the inaccessible areas and the incidents of disaster happen. In view of this, air ambulance service is very important in the state. Uttarakhand not getting air ambulance facility under double engine government proves that the central and state governments are not serious about health services. The government has weak lobbying due to non-approval of the proposal of air ambulance from the Centre.
-Dinesh Mohania, state in-charge AAP

Uttarakhand needs an air ambulance to take road accidents, disasters or any serious patients to the higher center in emergency in the mountains. It takes a lot of time to transport the patients to the hospital by road. Air ambulance service is needed in case of emergency.
-Dr. Amita Upreti, former Director General of Health

Grief of remote areas heavy on life

The lack of roads, health and communication facilities in the remote areas of the mountain is taking a toll on the lives of the people. Women and the elderly are the most victims of these three miseries. The situation becomes worse when the woman is pregnant, the elderly is seriously ill, has a heart attack or has been a victim of an accident. The families deprived of road and communication facilities have only one option that the victim should be taken to the road by sitting on a doli or chair. It is very difficult to transport the victim to the road on rocky roads and this journey becomes fatal during the rainy season.

All the remote villages are such that the distance from where the road is only 30 to 50 kms. Recently, from a village in Munsiyari, it took three days to travel a distance of 42 km to reach the elderly person on foot to the hospital. In such a situation, the need of air ambulance in these remote areas has been felt for a long time. Last time, Congress MLA Harish Dhami had requested the then Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to send a helicopter to help the affected during the disaster in Pithoragarh.

There should be air ambulance facility for remote areas. The matter will be discussed with the Chief Minister. Again a request will be made to send the proposal to the Central Government.

Balwant Singh Bhoryal, BJP MLA

Kapkot Air ambulance service was extremely important for the frontier. After talking to the Chief Minister, efforts will be made to operate air ambulances for the marginalized at the state level.

Chandra Pant, MLA, Pithoragarh

The central government has ignored the people of the frontier district by rejecting the offer of air ambulance. This is a deep blow to the people of the border area living in difficult conditions.

Harish Dhami, Congress MLA Dharchula