Over 40 medical evacuations with medical team on-board within the last month, and just as many without; the demand for inter-hospital patient heli-transfer from smaller hospitals outside the valley to the multispecialty centers in Kathmandu has seen an unprecedented growth in recent times.

It is hard to believe that the first proper inter-hospital medical transfer using rotary-wing aircraft with medical team on-board (or heli-rescue as we like to say) was conducted as recently as October of 2013. In the 7 years since, the hospitals that have formed their in-house rescue units (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service/HEMS) has grown to three from one. Numerous other hospitals have either completed, or are in the process of building ground/rooftop helipads and are developing their own HEMS units. The commitment from both the health sector and the aviation industry for the growth and development of heli-rescue can be attested by the fact that Simrik Airlines took an initiative in procurement of Patient Isolation Units (PIUs) and Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) to facilitate safe transfer of COVID patients, and medical teams fully supported this initiative, initially with trainings and followed that with daring transfers of patients critically ill with this highly contagious disease. Apart from hospital-based EMS units, non-profit organizations like Nepal Medics and Mountaineers Foundation (NMMF) have collaborated with Simrik Airlines and transferred multiple critically ill COVID patients. The low mortality rate among those rescued is a proof of success of the system, and the credit goes to this daring initiative.

Multiple milestones have been crossed in the seven-plus year journey, but one of the most significant achievements of the HEMS system has been the development of camaraderie and mutual respect between the medics and the aviators. Aviation and healthcare industries have gelled and worked as one, and the general public have reaped the benefits of this partnership.

One avenue that is yet to be breached is the involvement of medics in mountain rescues. With the partnerships that are evolving, and the commitment of all the stakeholders to move forward, that day isn’t far off when every trekker/climber can set forth their journey with the assurance that a modified heli-ambulance, with medical team on-board is standby when the need arises.

Dr. Abhijit Adhikary is an Emergency Physician and has supervised more than 5 dozen Medevac flights including transfer of COVID patients, Intubated/Ventilator cases, NonIntubated cases as well as International Repatriation of Critical care patients. He has contributed to this article.