Port Blair, Dec 16: The Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to make the evacuation of serious patients and one attendant from far-flung Islands via helicopter completely free, as it used to be in the past.
The Member of Parliament informed the Lt. Governor that the only referral Hospital of Andaman and Nicobar is situated at Port Blair city and this is the reason why in case of any medical emergency patients have to be airlifted from different far-flung islands in helicopters and brought to G B Pant Hospital for specialised treatment.
He added that from the beginning of Helicopter service the evacuation of serious patients from remote Islands along with attendants used to be completely free, based on the recommendation of the CMO of the concerned Primary Health Centre or Community Health Centre but recently the Civil Aviation Department started to charge fair even for serious patients, who are evacuated from far flung islands.
He pointed out that such a move of charging fare from emergency patients not only puts huge financial pressure on the family members of the patient but also causes untold mental agony.
The Member of Parliament further added that when a serious patient is referred to Port Blair from PHCs or CHCs for specialised treatment, which is not available at that particular Island then it becomes a state subject and charging helicopter ticket fare from patients is unjustified.
Hence he requested the Lt. Governor to make the evacuation of serious patients and one attendant from far-flung Islands via helicopter completely free of cost.