Victoria Hospital to have helipad soon

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The State Department of Medical Education is keen on implementing the proposal sent by the Dr C.R. Jayanthi, Director, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute to set up a helipad at the government-run Victoria hospital. The helipad will come up at one of the newly-built high-rises on the campus and it will be used during emergency organ retrieval.

Dr Jayanthi said, “I have submitted a proposal to set up the helipad in the hospital mainly for emergency organ retrieval. Creating green corridors is a common mode of transporting organs, but it becomes hectic and time consuming and requires a lot of work. The helipads can be utilized for quick organ retrieval at the hospital.” A senior doctor from the hospital said, “Helipads are not rare at hospitals. In fact, every hospital in the country should have one, which will help in quick transport of patients and organs. Our roads are congested and precious time is lost negotiating the traffic.”

A senior official from the medical education ministry said, “The proposal is in place and is with the Secretary. If the government has to do a pilot run, then it should be at the Victoria hospital and we are hopeful that this will come into action.”

Once the plan is implemented, Victoria Hospital will be the first government-run hospital in Karnataka to have a helipad facility. Last August, a helipad was built at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh, making it the first government hospital in the country to facilitate the landing of air ambulances.