Indian Navy Develops Special Air Pod For Safe Evacuation Of Covid-19 Patients From Remote Areas

The recent incident of an en masse infection of sailors onboard a US Navy aircraft carrier has resulted in the Indian navy taking stricter measures to ensure no such episodes occur on board any of its fleet.

It has not just issued special guidelines pertaining to the immediate helicopter evacuation of any crew member suspected to be affected by the virus to the nearest hospital ashore, but has also deisgned a special airpod to ensure the safe transit of such cases from remote areas.

Developed by the Naval Aircraft Yard (Kochi) under Southern Naval Command (SNC) this indigenous air evacuation pod (AEP) is a fully sealed transfer capsule that will ensure there is no risk of infection to the pilots and evacuation team ferrying the Covid-19 suspects as well as do away with the need to sanitise the aircraft once the patient has been evacuated.

Weighing a total 32 kg, the pod has been made at a cost of Rs 50,000 while an imported version of the same would cost Rs 59 Lakh.

(With inputs from IANS)