Indian Air Force inducts indigenous airborne rescue pod for critical and COVID-19 patients

Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 9

The Indian Air Force has inducted an indigenously developed Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT) that can be utilised for the evacuation of critical patients with infectious diseases including, COVID-19 from high altitude areas and remote places.

The requirement of an air evacuation system with the facility to prevent the spread of infectious aerosol from a COVID-19 patient during air travel was felt by the IAF when COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic.

The prototype was fabricated at IAF’s No.3 Base Repair Depot at Chandigarh and has undergone various modifications to make it operationally suitable.

Only indigenous materials have been used to fabricate this pod, keeping in mind the government’s efforts to promote self-reliance.

The indigenous system has been developed at a cost of only Rs 60,000 whereas imported systems cost up to Rs 60 lakh. The IAF is inducting a total of seven ARPITs as of now, according to a statement.

It can be used in both, helicopters as well as fixed-wing aircraft.

It has been developed as a lightweight isolation system from aviation certified material.

It has a transparent and durable perspex chamber for enhanced patient visibility, which is larger, higher, and wider than the existing models in use.

The isolation system caters to a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation to an intubated patient.

In addition, it generates a high and constant negative pressure within the isolation chamber to mitigate the risk of infection to aircrew, ground crew, and health care workers involved in air transportation.

The ARPIT utilises High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) H-13 class filters and supports invasive ventilation using a transport ventilator.

The design integrates life support and monitoring instruments like defibrillator with the multi-para monitor, pulse oximeter, Infusion pumps, etc, and long arm gloves for health care professionals and power pack with high endurance.

Design requirements have been evolved and are based on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, and Centre for Disease Control, USA.

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