t was a humid July morning. The noise of an aircraft taking flight pierced through the air above the Mianwali district headquarters hospital. Just a while back, the duty doctors at the hospital had briefed the medical superintendent, Dr Ameer Ahmed Khan, about 60-year-old Haleema Bibi who had a cervical spine injury, resulting in quadriplegia, and needed immediate surgery. The nearest hospital equipped to carry out such a surgery was in Rawalpindi, about 230 kilometres away. The patient had to be rushed to the facility.

Those who’ve travelled between Mianwali and Rawalpindi know well that the road is bumpy. The journey may take more than four hours. For a patient with spinal injury, it would be criminal to take the road. Recognising the severity of the situation, the MS contacted Rescue 1122, and asked about their freshly launched air ambulance service. Within 20 minutes, an air ambulance carrying Bibi was on its way.

The stated mission of the air ambulance service, an initiative of the Punjab government, is: “Reaching the Unreachable.” It seeks to “provide prompt medical assistance and transport for the critically ill or injured, thus bridging the gap between life and death in emergencies.”

Talking about the need for such a service, Farooq Ahmad, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, says, “We are mostly able to provide timely care to emergency patients across all districts and tehsils of the Punjab. However, last year’s data revealed a critical gap —it took over four hours to transfer 1,540 critical patients from DHQ hospitals in Bahawalnagar, Mianwali and Bhakkar to specialised hospitals nearby.”

The data does not include the number of patients transferred from more remote areas in Rajanpur to Nishtar Hospital in Multan.

Ahmad mentions essential international guidelines for air medical dispatch, especially when ground transport is not feasible due to time constraints, long distances or the infrastructure and level of care required during transfer.

An air ambulance is an aircraft, such as a helicopter, which flies the patients in a medical emergency to the nearest adequate facility, often covering long distances and skipping areas impractical for conventional ground ambulances.

Air ambulances are outfitted with advanced medical equipment, including stretchers, vital signs monitors, cardiac monitors, oxygen supply systems, transport ventilators, automated external defibrillators and essential medicines. “Each ambulance can carry two pilots, a doctor, a patient and an attendant,” adds Ahmad.

Last year’s data revealed a critical gap. For instance, the fact that “it took over four hours to transfer 1,540 critical patients from DHQ hospitals in Bahawalnagar, Mianwali and Bhakkar to specialised hospitals nearby.”

“Our goal is to provide a flying ICU, and to make sure the patients receive the highest level of care possible from the minute they are picked up until they reach the hospital.”

As of now, the Punjab government has arranged two air ambulances that are stationed at Bahawalnagar/ Bahawalpur and Mianwali. In Lahore, the chief minister’s helicopter can be used as an air ambulance for medical emergencies.

Ahmad says, “In trauma and cardiac emergencies, every minute counts. The provision of air ambulance for both North and South Punjab is a step in the right direction.”

Haleema Bibi’s is a case in point. She not only landed safely at the Rawalpindi facility, but also received the treatment she required in time.

Another patient, Abdul Razzaq, a 53-year-old man with ischemia, has famously benefitted from the service. He was referred from the Mianwali DHQ hospital to the Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi on July 26. He was transported swiftly and safely, averting a potentially fatal delay.

he air ambulance service follows a stringent dispatch procedure. Medical superintendents of DHQ hospitals in remote areas can request for an airlift based on the advice of a consultant.

Not every patient is eligible for the airlift; only those with severe traumas, brain or spinal injuries and acute coronary syndromes are served.

The air ambulance personnel are especially trained in emergency care and aero-medical evacuation. An airplane training simulator has been set up at the Emergency Services Academy in Lahore for the purpose.

The service costs a lot. To quote Ahmad, “Two air ambulances for North and South Punjab are going to cost Rs 90 million each per annum. This includes aircraft maintenance, operations and fuel; and staff salaries and insurance. That’s a substantial investment, but the lives saved make it worthwhile.”

A recent directive from the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department outlined the criteria for air medical dispatches. It also urged the DHQ hospitals to prepare for safe air ambulance landings.

Ahsan Malik is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship