The BJP government is leaving no stone unturned to live up to their promises. The Uttarakhand state government has been negotiating the introduction of air ambulance service for its state inhabitants.
Being a hilly region, hospitals are scanty in Uttarakhand. The existing hospitals are incompetent and ineffective for meeting the demands. The actual problem is even severe. Most patients are not able to reach the hospitals within the required time. And this is the reason why most of them have to suffer immense loss even in case of minor emergencies. The road services are not connecting the remote locations. The state transport also needs an upgrade. The time of travel in hilly regions increases a lot compared to the plains, due to the roads being cut through mountains. Short distance take almost double the time being traversed through mountains. An air ambulance is one of the basic state services needed for such regions.
While the rest of India has plains and plateaus, air ambulance is something rarely heard of. Such services are mostly associated with advanced developed nations. BJP government is planning to take India to another level. This new air ambulance service won’t be taxing the patients. It is being planned that 80,000/- per hour fare of the air ambulance, will be paid by the state. The Uttarakhand state government has already waived off 19% air fuel taxes. The VAT on air fuel has been cut short from 20% to 1%. This step in itself has reduced the major part of the expense of air ambulance service. All the expenses will be adjusted in the state budget.
If successful this will be one of the most crucial development by the new state government. It will bring relief and comfort for Uttarakhand inhabitants, who have long suffered due to various reasons.