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No permanent medical emergency services available at Chandigarh International Airport
At present, two state-sponsored doctors at the airport scan the passengers, but do not have any other medical equipment or medicines
After its contract with Fortis Hospital, Mohali, ended on September 25 this year, the Chandigarh International Airport is now without any permanent provisions in place to cater to medical emergencies on the premises.
Post lockdown, the Airport hosts more than 3,000 passengers daily and employs around 1,000 staffers, but does not even have a permanent ambulance service.
What’s more, it has been five years since the Airport was declared ‘international’, and yet, the post of airport health officer (APHO), mandatory at a structure of this magnitude, is still lying vacant.
In October last year, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, had discontinued their services citing “high rent”, but after a few days, they were allowed to continue rent-free. The hospital had deputed a doctor, paramedical staff, technicians, a highly-equipped ambulance and driver for 24X7 services.
At present, however, there are two state-sponsored doctors at the Airport who scan the temperatures of the incoming passengers. But they do not have any emergency medical equipment or medicines.
When contacted, Ajay Bhardwaj, CEO of the Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), said, “For a permanent medical facility, we have floated tenders and hopefully, some permanent doctors will be stationed here soon.”
Dr Manjit Singh, Mohali civil surgeon, said, “Our doctors go to the airport just for the screening of the passengers whenever a flight arrives. For permanent medical emergency services, it is the duty of the airport authorities to make provisions.”
The domestic flight operations resumed at the Airport on May 25 after a gap of nearly three months. Before the lockdown, the airport saw at least 12,000 passengers, both at arrivals and departures, daily. The number has since come down. While 44 domestic and two international flights (Sharjah and Dubai) used to arrive and depart from here before March 23, only six to eight flights operate daily these days.
