Sambalpur: Authorities of Vimsar, Burla, are planning to build a helipad for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) to facilitate the emergency shifting of critical patients to best hospitals in the country. Manoj Kujur, tehhsildar of Sambalpur Sadar, on Monday said that land for the project has been selected.
Vimsar superintendent Dr Lalmohan Nayak said, “The project was announced three years ago. Land demarcation for the helipad is already complete. Through the HEMS, patients can be airlifted to places like Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, where they can receive emergency treatment for diseases like cancer. In foreign countries the hospital building rooftops are used as helipads. If Vimsar gets a helipad, then it will be the first gov hospital to get such a facility for airlifting of patients.”
Vimsar receives patients from all over western Odisha. Patients seeking emergency treatment for burns and road accidents are often referred to higher institutions.
He further said that plastic surgery is not done in Vimsar. Surgeries required in various accident cases which can’t be performed in Vimsar are referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. “Monthly, 4-5 patients with cancer and cardiac disease are referred,” he added.
Vimsar dean, Dr Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, said, “In case any facility cannot not be provided by Vimsar in emergency cases, the patients are referred to advanced centres. The helicopter emergency service project will not only benefit those patients being taken to private hospitals, but poor patients can also be airlifted to the best hospitals for treatment under the Ayushman Bharat card.”