Russia has taken another step along the path to deploying a nationwide helicopter air ambulance service. The Russian Helicopters division of Rostec State Corp., the National Service of Medical Aviation (NSMA), and Avia Capital Services signed an agreement over the weekend covering the supply and service of 150 helicopters for the service. The total includes 104 Ansat light twins and 46 Mi-8AMT medium twins.
Avia Capital is procuring the helicopters and providing them to NMSA on 15-year leases. The first Mi-8AMT EMS helicopter, which is equipped with an artificial lung ventilation system and a Tele-ECG machine that reads an electrocardiogram in real time, has been delivered to NSMA under the deal. The Ansat light twin was first certified for medical transport in 2015.
Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov said development of EMS aviation is a national priority for the Russian government and that more than 40 billion rubles ($567 million) already had been invested in the project. NSMA, which has been charged with providing 24/7 service to a common standard, is currently transporting patients in Karelia, Saint Petersburg, and the regions of Moscow, Leningrad, Sverdlovsk, and Novgorod.