Karnataka labour department mulls acquiring 3 helicopters to serve as air ambulances

“Many injuries are reported in remote parts of the state, where timely medical intervention is hard to come by. So the labour department plans to come up with heli-ambulances that would be of use in such cases,” the official said.

While the exact budget proposed for the acquisition of the helicopters is yet unclear, the official said that the department could tap into the Building and Other Construction Workers Fund for the purpose.

“The plan is to have three helicopters at the ready in different parts of the state,” the official said, adding that final modalities of the proposal and helicopter acquisition were still under review.

During the Dhruv-NG launch, HAL said that the public sector company was still awaiting final clearance for the aircraft before releasing it to the market. According to HAL Chairman and Managing Director D K Sunil, the process will take a few months. The helicopter can carry 14 passengers, he said, pitching it for companies providing VIP movement, heli-tourism, and medical ambulance services across the country.