States urged to expand heli medical services with projects like Uttarakhand’s Sanjeevani
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Friday urged other States to adopt models like Uttarakhand’s Project Sanjeevani to expand helicopter-based emergency medical services and improve healthcare access in remote and difficult terrains. The State government is successfully carrying out this project in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh.
The statement was made during a session on Opportunities for States in Civil Aviation, held as part of the Minister Conference on Civil Aviation (Northern Region) here on Friday. The session was attended by Union Civil Aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. Other senior officials from the Ministry presented updates on regional air connectivity, drone usage, infrastructure development and the growing demand for aviation-related manpower.
The Civil Aviation joint secretary (Airports Coordination and Administration) Asangba Chuba said that the UDAN scheme has connected 625 regional routes so far, benefiting more than 1.53 crore passengers. A modified UDAN scheme, aimed at connecting 120 destinations over the next 10 years, is also in the pipeline. The Civil Aviation joint secretary (Mixtures, Sustainability and Safety) Madhu Sudan Shankar said that India will require around 45,000 aviation maintenance technicians by 2040, according to Airbus estimates. He added that the country is expected to become the world’s third-largest aviation market by 2030 and states need to invest in training institutions to meet the demand for skilled manpower.
The president of the Drone Federation of India Smit Shah also highlighted the need for states to support drone startups, build dedicated launchpads and implement state-level drone policies. He said that over 33,000 drones have been registered across India, with more than 24,000 certified drone pilots and 178 approved training schools.
The executive director of the Airports Authority of India Sujoy De also shared details about the technical and environmental criteria involved in airport development. He said that parameters such as wind orientation, topography, airspace clearance and environmental assessments play a crucial role in planning. The officials also talked about the need for permanent helipads in states to facilitate helicopter operations for civil use, emergency medical services, disaster response and defence-related needs.
