Apollo Hospitals has announced a structured patient transfer initiative to improve access to advanced critical care through coordinated air ambulance services across India and overseas. The move comes as the hospital chain seeks to address long-standing gaps in emergency medical transport, where transfers from remote locations are often fragmented, costly and dependent on informal intermediaries.
Over the past few months, Apollo Hospitals has signed MoUs with multiple national and international air ambulance operators to streamline patient movement and strengthen transfer coordination. The initiative will be routed through Apollo’s 1066 Emergency Response Network, which will serve as the single coordination access point for partner-enabled air ambulance transfers.
In the first phase, Apollo has tied up with operators including Bluedot Charters and Air Ambulance Services, UAE, AeroMed International Rescue Services Pvt Ltd, Jhankar Aviation Pvt. Ltd, iCATT Health Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Air Rescuers World Wide Pvt. Ltd, Vedant Air Rescue Pvt. Ltd., AeroCare Air Ambulance Service, Ayusewa Air & Train Ambulance, Air Medical 24X7 Pvt. Ltd. and Flaps Aviation Private Ltd. The partnerships are aimed at widening access for time-sensitive, high-acuity cases that require rapid transfer to tertiary and quaternary care centres.
Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said the ability to reach the right hospital quickly can be life-saving in critical situations. She said the partnerships with specialised air ambulance providers would make it easier for patients and families to access advanced care across cities and borders in a more coordinated and transparent manner. She added that integrating the 1066 response network would help ensure clinical coordination and hospital preparedness.
Dr. Dhavapalani Alagappan, Clinical Director, Emergency Departments, Apollo Hospitals, said air ambulances are equipped with life-support systems, ventilators, defibrillators and other advanced medical equipment, allowing critically ill patients to receive intensive-care-level support during transit. He said patients are continuously monitored by a trained medical team and certified doctors who can administer medicines and intervene as needed to keep them stable.
Dr. Ramakrishna Vijay Varma, Chief Operating Officer, Healthcare Logistics, Apollo Hospitals, said once a request is received on the emergency helpline 1066, the emergency response team assesses the patient’s condition, identifies the most appropriate mode of transport and coordinates the transfer with the partner operator. He said the air ambulance operator manages the aviation logistics and added that patients have benefited from significant cost savings because rates are pre-negotiated and middlemen are excluded.
Apollo said the initiative integrates its existing emergency response infrastructure with the 1066 network, combining emergency coordination, on-ground ambulance support, airport-to-hospital connectivity and partner-operated air transfers. The hospital said the model would enable bed-to-bed movement support and improve response efficiency, especially for patients in remote regions, Tier II and Tier III cities, and international locations.
With the launch, Apollo Hospitals is deepening its focus on integrated emergency mobility and patient access, creating a more organised framework for urgent inter-city and cross-border medical transfers at a time when speed to advanced care can be critical.
