How A Medical Air Evacuation Might Have Left Trail Of COVID-19 Infection

A section of aircraft engineers providing technical assistance at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi is worried about a medical evacuation that took place on April 16.

This is because they suspect that it might have left a trail of COVID-19 infections from the two pilots and three technical staff members who were involved in the evacuation process.

All five have been asked to quarantine.

A private air charter company, which provides private aircraft and air ambulance facilities, sent its plane to Ranchi on April 16 to airlift a patient of brain hemorrhage.

The aircraft reached Delhi after two hours and the patient, who was COVID-19 negative, was admitted at Medanta hospital. He died during treatment and in the evening of April 19, his COVID-19 test turned out to be positive.

“The patient was buried in Gurugram as per the norms,” Amit Khatri, District Collector, Gurugram, said.

Medanta immediately informed the operator to take required action. The operator subsequently asked its two pilots involved in evacuation to self-quarantine.

It also informed the company which provides aircraft maintenance to take requisite action, following which, three technical personnel were asked to self-isolate.

Sources say what is vexing the authorities is how, where and when the patient got infected with coronavirus, because when he was airlifted from Ranchi on April 16, his COVID-19 test was negative. However, he tested positive the day he died.

“At which stage and where did he pick up the infection?” a technical official asked.

“Was it on the way or at the airport or in the hospital? Further in three days, the two pilots and three technical personnel visited many places. What will happen to that? This is our main concern. The infection might have spread to others also,” he said.

Arun Kumar, Director General, Directorate of Civil Aviation, told Outlook that it was a medical evacuation which was permitted and all protocols, including health certificate and recommendation of the state government, and other necessary clearance were followed.

“Further, on the other issue, related to aircraft sanitisation and crew quarantine action as per the health ministry guidelines and subsequent contact tracing is obligatory on the operator,” Kumar said.

However, both, the operator and the maintenance service provider say that they have asked the concerned staff to quarantine and that’s good enough.

Col. Pradeep Srivastava, air safety officer at the Air Charter Service, which was involved in the evacuation said that the pilots were in PPE which the company has provided to its staff involved in medical evacuation.

“The patient was on the ventilator, so chances were very dim for the spread of the virus through the air if we presume that he was infected at the time of flying from Ranchi to Delhi. Further, we have immediately asked two pilots to isolate themselves,” he said.

Anurag Srivastava, CEO, Bird ExecuJet Airport Services Pvt Ltd, which provided technical assistance, said, “My three technical staff are in quarantine since April 19 evening. If others feel scared, they can tell their reporting manager and go for self-isolation.”

He confirmed that all aircraft involved in medical evacuation is sanitised in a routine manner. “Incidentally, the aircraft didn’t go for any other operation. We re-sanitised it as per the norms for COVID-19,” Srivastava said.

He also said he immediately informed the officials of Delhi International Airport Limited which manages the IGI. All five concerned persons of the evacuation haven't shown any symptoms for COVID-19 infection yet.

But who will trace their touchpoints at the airport and outside with others? No one has the answer.