Karachi: JPMC resumes air ambulance service after over 2 decades
Critically ill patients from far-flung areas of Sindh and Balochistan can be brought in to JPMC in Karachi via air ambulances for treatment
October 05, 2020
KARACHI: Critically ill patients from Sindh and Balochistan's remote areas can be brought in for treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) as a newly constructed helipad atop the hospital's roof ensured the resumption of air ambulance services after two decades.
"Now, we can have patients brought through public and private air ambulance services,” said JPMC Executive Director Dr Seemin Jamali while talking to The News as a helicopter of the Sindh government landed on the helipad after over two decades.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had cleared for the helicopter to land at the JPMC and the district administration south had arranged a fire brigade to deal with any eventuality.
Helicopter ambulances used to bring in patients in the 1990s, however, the service had to be discontinued after the condition of the helipad deteriorated.
“The need for having a reinforced helipad at the JPMC reemerged given incidents of explosions in far-flung areas of Sindh and Balochistan. Now patients can be brought to the JPMC within a couple of hours from any area in Sindh and Balochistan,” Dr Jamali added.
She thanked the provincial government and said that more services in line with international standards are being provided at the JPMC “to facilitate a large number of patients who come to Karachi from entire Pakistan as well as abroad for quality treatment”.
JPMC Deputy Director Dr Yahya Tunio said the JPMC helipad was a reinforced landing platform hence military-grade helicopters, helicopter ambulances and mid-size transport ambulances could also land on it.
He said the district administration south would provide a fire tender whenever a helicopter would be landing at the JPMC’s helipad. ”The presence of a fire tender and an ambulance is a must when a helicopter lands at any regular helipad.”
JPMC’s deputy directors, including Dr Yahya Tunio, Dr Salman and Dr Asadullah, and officials of the Sindh Rangers and police were present on the occasion.
