India is all set to get its first-ever air dispensary in a helicopter which will serve people of the North-eastern states. Union minister Jitendra Singh announced this service that will cater to people in remote areas in the region. At a meeting held in Delhi on Sunday, he said the Union Ministry of Development of Northeast (DONER) has already contributed Rs. 25 crore as part of the initial funding for this initiative,

The meeting was attended by representatives of the aviation sector and helicopter service Pawan Hans. The minister said, over the past few months the DoNER ministry was mulling over the idea of introducing a helicopter-based dispensary/OPD service in far-flung areas where people didn’t have access to doctor or medical facility.

Mr. Singh said that the proposal put forward by them has been accepted and he hopes that the services will commence in the beginning of 2018. He added that other states like Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh which have difficult topography can also emulate this service being introduced in the Northeast.

According to the plan, helicopters will be based at two locations - Imphal and Shillong, which have premier postgraduate medical institutes from where doctors, along with equipment and paramedical staff, would be able to fly over eight states in the region. The same helicopter can also carry a sick patient to a city hospital on its way back.