by: Navjeevan Express

IAF inducts indigenously developed pod ARPIT for evacuation of critical patients from remote areas

NE NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, JUNE 9

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday announced that it has inducted an indigenously designed and manufactured pod called ARPIT, which will be used for evacuation of critical patients suffering from infectious diseases like COVID-19 from isolated and remote areas.

“The IAF has designed, developed, and inducted an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT),” said the IAF in a statement.

It said when the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, it felt the need for an evacuation system that prevents the spread of infectious aerosol from the patient to another person.

The first prototype was developed at 3 BRD AF and has undergone various modifications. Supporting the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” call by the Prime Minister, only indigenous materials have been used to fabricate this pod. This indigenously designed system has been developed at a cost of Rs 60,000, which is very less when compared to imported systems which cost up to Rs 60 lakh apiece, the IAF stated.

The isolation system has a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation for an intubated patient, the IAF said.

In addition, the pod generates high constant negative pressure in the isolation chamber for the prevention of infection risk to aircrew, ground crew, and health care workers involved in air transportation, the IAF noted.

“This pod will be utilised for the evacuation of critical patients with infectious diseases including COVID-19 from high altitude area, isolated and remote places,” it added.

The design requirements have been evolved and are based on the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC), USA