SRINAGAR: In another welfare measure for the underprivileged, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, today approved the use of Raj Bhavan’s helicopter free of cost for emergency evacuation of patients living in the remote areas of the Union Territory.
During his string of remote areas visits as part of the Back to Village programme, the Lt Governor acknowledged the hardships faced by villagers, especially during severe winters when most of the hilly areas owing to difficult terrain remain cut off from the major towns and district headquarters.
To assuage the sufferings of the people living in these areas, the Lt Governor approved the use of Raj Bhavan’s Bell 407 across the UT to airlift patients who face medical emergencies and cannot afford the regular chopper services.
To ensure that the facility is effectively utilized, the concerned Deputy Commissioner and the Chief Medical Officer of the district shall submit a certificate indicating the urgency of situation, the income status of the patient, and the reason for airlift as and when the requisition is raised.
The service shall exclusively cater to the emergency airlift of patients who fall below the poverty line and cannot even afford to pay the subsidized charge for the helicopter service which is already in place and available at the disposal of both the Divisional Commissioners.
