Nishar Mohammed & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, June 4: The members of Hindu Rastriya Shakti (HRS) have raised serious concerns about the urgent and growing challenges faced by critical patients in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, particularly regarding air ambulance services and medical evacuation.
Mr. Anshuman Roy, Youth President of HRS, highlighted the increasing burden on island residents who are often left with no choice but to airlift critical patients to mainland India for proper treatment. “In the last few days alone, a patient from G.B. Pant Hospital had to be airlifted urgently. His family paid over Rs.5 lakh just to ensure his survival,” Roy said. “This is not an isolated case; it’s a regular struggle for many families.”
Mr. Roy accused both the local administration and airline companies of neglect and insensitivity. “Previously, Air India used to support manual stretcher bookings. But now, with Air India Express and other private players like Akasa Air and IndiGo, the system has collapsed,” he alleged. “These airlines either refuse medical stretcher cases or demand astronomical sums ranging from Rs.1.5 lakh to Rs.5 lakh, citing seat removals for space.”
He added that patients are often charged for both legs of a flight—even when they board only from Port Blair—because airlines claim they have to remove nine seats to accommodate a stretcher. “Why should islanders pay for seats removed in Chennai when the patient boards here?” he asked.
Mr. Roy proposed a tangible solution: “Since Prime Minister Modi has inaugurated an international airport here, why not station engineering teams locally to modify seats only on the Port Blair leg? This would reduce costs significantly and save lives.”
He also demanded that the Ayushman Bharat scheme be extended to cover the full cost of evacuation from the Andaman Islands to mainland hospitals. “Our suggestion is simple: if G.B. Pant Hospital refers a patient due to lack of facilities, Ayushman Bharat should automatically cover up to Rs.5 lakh for evacuation. Families should not be forced into debt just to save their loved ones.”
Echoing these sentiments, Mr. Rakeshwar Lall, President of HRS A&N Islands, supported Roy’s demands and urged swift administrative intervention. “What Mr. Roy said is 100% genuine. If the government can mandate airlines to fly remote routes in exchange for international sector access, it can also make medical evacuations compulsory,” said Lall.
He added, “This is not about politics. It’s about human lives. If the Ministry of Civil Aviation wants to maintain public trust, they must enforce that any airline operating in remote regions must also accept stretcher patients without unnecessary delay or cost.”
The two HRS leaders requested the MP, Lt. Governor, Chief Secretary, and Union Health Ministry to act without delay. “Andaman’s health sector is crying for help. We pay our taxes. We follow government rules. Now it’s the government’s turn to ensure no islander dies because of logistical neglect,” said Roy.
This bold call to action is gaining traction among local citizens and healthcare activists, who are urging both state and central authorities to take immediate corrective steps.
