ICATT to provide integrated air ambulance services

Hyderabad: ICATT (International Critical Air Transfer Team), an air ambulance company, is rolling out integrated air-based emergency medical services, bringing together aircraft, helicopter and land ambulances for last mile connectivity. Equipped with state-of-the-art German Isolation Pod, the company is providing safe transport for critical COVID-19 patients as well.

ICATT Air Ambulance services and Helicopter Emergency Medical Service are today available across 23 cities in India in addition to International Air Ambulance service in countries such as USA, Canada, Europe, Africa, UK, Australia and Singapore.

In 2020 alone, till date, the company has enabled 63 domestic transfers, 10 international transfers and seven organ transfers. It has recently airlifted an engineer from Afghanistan for a hip surgery in Hyderabad.

The company is founded by Dr Rahul Singh Sardar and Dr Shalini Nalwad, both MBBS, MCRA, FCAI (UK) with the vision to provide medical care in the most challenging of clinical areas and to bring air-based emergency medical services to India.

Speaking to Telangana Today, ICATT co-founder Dr Shalini Nalwad said, “We have recently partnered with aviation technology firm Kyathi Climate Modification Consultants (KCMC) for integrated air ambulance services. The ICATT Kyathi’s fixed wing aircraft for long-distance emergency medical transport, combined with helicopter and land ambulance services will provide last mile connectivity. We have a fixed wing aircraft and are deploying a chopper. We also have tie ups for twin-engine jets for international high-risk transfers.”

“Most patients of severe trauma or heart attack or life-threatening medical emergency, die within the first one hour, a period referred to as the Golden Hour. We have provided air ambulance services for a variety of emergency cases that may include heart and lung transplants, polytrauma (injuries to multiple body parts), gastro-intestinal, neuro-surgical and cardio thoracic conditions. We closely coordinate with the medical teams and surgeons who are receiving the patients for initiating immediate procedure so that there is no time loss,” she informed.

Of other emerging trends, she said, medical tourism is also creating opportunities for patient air transfer. The company has already served patients from the Middle East, Indonesia and Israel for medical needs such as heart and lung transplants.

ICATT has also dealt with landing permissions and visa support for foreign patients so that they get faster medical care.

On the company’s future plans, Dr Shalini Nalwad said, “We want to increase our fixed wing aircraft fleet size and reduce the overall cost for patients to improve affordability. We are also working with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to offer chopper services to airlift people injured on roads. We want to reduce deaths happening due to accidents by covering airlifting and rehabilitation. The blueprint is ready and this model will soon take off, which will be free of cost for patients.”