First in Kolkata: Desun Hospital to launch rooftop helipad for emergency services

Kolkata: In a pioneering move towards emergency healthcare in Kolkata, Desun Hospital is set to inaugurate a rooftop helipad on Friday to facilitate the rapid transportation of critically ill patients. The helipad, located on the rooftop of Desun's new annexe II building, will be the first hospital in Kolkata to introduce the service.

After nearly two years of construction, the hospital's new helipad is now ready to facilitate air ambulances landing directly on the premises. This addition will significantly reduce response times, enabling faster transport of patients. The hospital plans to use the helipad to bring burn and emergency patients from remote areas of Bengal and neighbouring states. On Friday, a test flight will take place, with a helicopter departing from the Behala Flying Club and landing at the helipad.

Also Read: PM Shri Air Ambulance Service Scheme: MP Govt to airlift patients to hospitals

Currently, the only option available to intra-city patients is green channels, which have been used on several occasions. Since 2018, multiple city hospitals have relied on green channels to ferry organs for transplantation and transport critical patients, with the assistance of Kolkata Police.

According to TOI, Dutta also said, "This will enable us to address emergency and critical cases faster. Previously, patients transported by air ambulance would land at the Kolkata airport and then be taken to our hospital by road. Our new helipad will streamline this process, allowing for quicker transfers and ultimately better patient care. We are grateful to have received permission from the DGCA."

The introduction of the helipad has garnered mixed reactions from the local healthcare community. Some hospitals and healthcare professionals have hailed the initiative, calling it a major step forward for emergency healthcare while others felt it could be ‘logistically impractical'.

Prashant Sharma, chairman of ICC Healthcare wing and MD of Charnock Hospital, stated that air ambulance can be a lifeline for many patients who can avail of this service. He also expressed belief that this would be the first such service in East India and that it was going to be a success.

Sudipta Mitra, CEO of Peerless Hospital, said that this is a pioneering move and will help save lives. He noted that several hospitals outside Bengal have helipads, and it is time that a few be established here as well. He also expressed hope that the cost would be affordable.

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh: MoU for operating free air ambulance service signed

Rupak Barua, CEO of Woodlands Hospital and president of the Association of Hospitals of Eastern India (AHEI), echoed similar sentiments, stating that this initiative could prove to be a game-changer for the region’s healthcare system. Barua added that this would allow quick transportation of critical patients without having to depend solely on green corridors. He also hopes that this will encourage more hospitals in the city to develop helipads in the future.

A head of a hospital chain expressed scepticism, suggesting that the initiative might prove to be a showpiece and an ‘impractical investment'. As per the news reports, he said, "There are so many agencies involved in getting the air ambulance service to work that it is likely to be a logistical nightmare. While it sounds good, it is a better idea to invest in something that would be more easily accessible and benefit more patients."