Port Blair, Nov. 27: The Office of the Director General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India has directed Air India and Indigo to make arrangements to accommodate stretcher patients in their flights. In an email to Air India and Indigo, the DGCA mentioned, “It has come to notice that Indigo is unable to carry passengers who require stretcher with medical equipment on board the aircraft at Port Blair”.

The email further read, “To facilitate the medical evacuation of critical patients, especially at Port Blair, who require treatment in major cities, Indigo should make all efforts to ensure that the patient reaches his destination to receive appropriate medical treatment. Accordingly, the airline is advised to position a stretcher along with basic medical kit/ equipment (including an on-board oxygen facility) at Port Blair.

“In case such facilitation requires few passengers to be offloaded, then the affected passengers should be accommodated on other flights.”

Similar email has been marked to Air India by the Director General of Civil Aviation.

The directions of DGCA comes as a sigh of relief to the Islanders, who have been facing troubles when it comes to shifting stretcher patients for specialised treatments in the mainland India. It is hoped that the two airline companies will follow the directions of DGCA and make necessary arrangements.