The first air transfer of a patient with COVID-19 in India was carried out on Sunday, September 6 2020. A seriously ill man was flown from Kolkata to Chennai for treatment, in ICATT Kyathi Air Ambulance.
“A 58-year-old male COVID-19 patient was flown in a twin-engine aeroplane from Kolkata to Chennai on Germany’s isolation ISO POD (Sunday) September 6 2020.
This was the first time a patient with COVID-19 was being transferred from one city to another in India by using ICATT air ambulance. The company’s dedicated medical team, consisting of cardiac anaesthetists and paramedics, arrived in Kolkata on Saturday evening to do the necessary preparatory work. On Sunday, the patient was taken to Kolkata Airport along a “green corridor” for 30 minutes.
The patient received ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) during the transfer process with German made isolation pod.
Let us know more about the ICATT ECMO Team for COVID-19 Patients. But before that most of us have doubts about whether coronavirus patients can transfer by plane and are they isolated?
Let’s see!
Can coronavirus patients transfer by plane, and they are isolated?
Yes. Depending on the destination, it is possible to confirm or suspect with coronavirus patients in an ambulance with special equipment. There are special devices such as the German ISO POD that are designed to safely transport patients with infectious diseases. These pod-like devices allow infected patients to travel safely. Due to the size of the equipment, only one person can be transported at a time and only in larger ambulances.
ICATT air ambulance continues to provide bed-to-bed medical repatriation services. As always, our priority is to ensure patient safety during each of our trips.
COVID19 Positive Patient On ECMO In German ISO POD ICATT
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, ICATT Air Ambulance Worldwide provides safe medical air transportation services for patients with COVID-19. If you or a loved one tested positive for COVID-19 and requires a medical flight to return home or to a health facility, we provide services by following the strictest sanitation and safety guidelines.
ICATT Air Ambulances are carefully maintained, and fully equipped aircraft. They are disinfected after each flight and have the latest technology for infection control. Thus includes an isolation pod, which creates a hygienic environment for treating highly contagious patients. Also, our team of dedicated full-time medical heroes consists of doctors, respiratory therapists, paramedics and nurses who have at least five years of clinical experience and are trained to support coronavirus patients.
To avoid infection, coronavirus patients are transported with complete isolation. Ambulance aircraft are equipped with modern separators for this purpose. Since the device has negative pressure, the virus cannot escape. The ventilation system supplies the patient with oxygen and prevents the virus from spreading into the air.
What is ECMO?
ECMO replaces the function of the heart and lungs when the lungs can’t supply enough oxygen or remove enough carbon dioxide from the body, and when the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body. ECMO is used in infants with congenital heart disease who have acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS-caused by severe COVID-19) and who had heart surgery.
The ECMO machine is connected to the body via a plastic tube (a process called cannulation). There are two types of ECMO;
ECMO VV (vein): A cannula is attached to a vein in the throat and blood is pumped from the body to an artificial lung which adds oxygen, removes carbon dioxide and pumps it back into the vein.
VA (venoarterial) ECMO: Cannulas are placed in the arteries and veins and oxygen-deficient blood is extracted. A machine carries out the oxygen-carbon exchange, and the blood is pushed back into the arteries under pressure. Therefore, VV-ECMO bypasses the function of the heart and lungs.
ECMO is a life-saving machine and is used in life-threatening situations where the body cannot support itself. They do not cure the underlying condition, but rather aim to gain body time and give it a chance to heal.
ECMO extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at the time of COVID-19:
The ECMO engine is a very complex device, and its availability is incredible. Only major hospitals and air ambulances like ICATT have them.
A small proportion of those who become seriously ill with COVID-19 need assistance with breathing to stay alive. Coronavirus can cause pneumonia inflammation of the lungs that inhibits the ability to carry oxygen in the blood. In such life-threatening situations, maintaining a ventilator is not sufficient to maintain blood oxygen levels. ECMO can play a role here.
Conclusion:
We will arrange for your ambulance flight as soon as possible. Our transport team will help coronavirus patients and ensure a safe flight home. ICATT handles the entire organizational process, provides you with all necessary ground ambulances and coordinates all pick-up and delivery times. You can always count on our years of experience and our international network.
Contact ICATT Air Ambulance at +91-9701111156 today to request an ambulance for people who are positive for COVID-19. Our flight coordinators are there for you 24 hours a day, 7 hours a week and can answer all your questions.
