The pod’s design requirements are based on the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Giving a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,IAF has designed, developed and inducted Airborne Rescue Pod for isolated Transportation (ARPIT) of critical patients afflicted with infectious disease including Covid-19 from high altitude areas, isolated and remote places.

Utilizing high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) H-13 class filters and supports invasive ventilation using transport ventilator, ARPIT’s design integrates life support and monitoring instruments (defibrillator with multipara monitor, pulse oximeter, Infusion pumps), long arm gloves for use by health care professionals and power pack with high endurance.

Its design requirements have evolved and are based on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC), USA. The IAF is inducting a total of 7 ARPITS as of now.

Made of aviation certified material, ARPIT has transparent and durable cast perspex for enhanced patient visibility which is larger, higher and wider than the existing models. The isolation system caters for a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation to an intubated patient.

It should be noted that the requirement of an air evacuation system with facility to prevent spread of infectious aerosol from a COVID-19 patient during air travel was felt by IAF when COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic.