Mysuru: Apollo Hospitals announced the extension of its air ambulance services network to Mysuru through its current hubs in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Several people in India don’t get medical attention within the golden hour which is very crucial in saving lives. Apollo’s air ambulance service will address the emergency medical needs of the people who are on the outskirts and far from the city limits. The service will also be extended to several smaller cities and towns like Madurai, Kakinada, Karaikudi, Karur, Trichy and Vizag. Each of the Apollo air ambulances will be manned by a full-fledged medical crew trained in critical pre-hospital care protocols to address emergency victims and critically-ill patients.

Through partnerships with various aviation companies, at an average, Apollo Hospitals air transfers around 125-150 patients in a year. Dr. Prathap Reddy, Chairman, said, “We have always believed all Indians across metros and smaller cities and towns must receive international quality care. It gives me immense satisfaction extending this service to Mysuru, Madurai, Trichy, Karaikudi, Kakinada, Karimnagar and Vizag. With this launch, I hope that we have increased the chances of patients in the smaller towns and cities getting medical attention they deserve in the golden hour.”

Emphasising on air ambulance as the need of the hour Dr. Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “Air ambulance could cut travel time by as much as 90 percent. Over 60 million people in India are affected with cardiac diseases, over 0.5 million road accidents occur annually where atleast about 0.1 million deaths are reported year on year. Immediate medical attention can go a long way in saving lives. Unlike other helicopters, these aircraft are built exclusively for transporting emergency victims. The medical crew for all transfers is from Apollo Hospitals. These services offer support to all types of accident and emergency patients including paediatric.