Karachi: In a significant healthcare initiative, the Sindh government has introduced a free air ambulance service under the guidance of the Local Government Council Association (LGCA), announced by Provincial Ministers Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Saeed Ghani.
According to Directorate General Information and PRs – Sindh, the ministers revealed that this new service, a collaboration between the Sindh Local Council Association and Aircraft Company ASSL, aims to enhance emergency medical access and save lives across the province. This development aligns with the vision of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and comes amid swirling rumors of political shifts in Sindh’s governance. The ministers clarified that recent meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari focused on educational expansions, not political upheavals.
Minister Saeed Ghani emphasized the importance of the air ambulance, which will primarily serve patients in remote areas, facilitating faster medical transport from districts like Ghotki, Sukkur, and Khairpur to Karachi. The initiative promises to address the critical delays in emergency medical care evident in past incidents, such as the delayed transfer of journalist Jan Muhammad Maher after his assassination, which had fatal consequences.
The air service will initially operate with the agreement to provide five free flights per month for Sukkur, Ghotki, and Khairpur district councils, as stated by CEO of Airlift Sales and Services, Akbar Jafri. Jafri added that the service includes fully equipped aircraft with medical essentials like stents, ventilators, and oxygen, staffed by doctors and paramedical personnel.
The launch, marked by a signing ceremony, sets a precedent for integrating air medical services in regional healthcare strategies, potentially expanding to include more areas like Hyderabad, Thar, Nawabshah, and Larkana, as well as utilizing airstrips in Badin for further reach.