IAF inducts indigenously developed pod ARPIT to evacuate critical patients from remote areas

The Indian Air Force on Monday inducted an indigenously designed and manufactured pod called ARPIT, which will be used for evacuation of critical patients suffering from infectious diseases like COVID-19 from isolated and remote areas. "The IAF has designed, developed and inducted an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT)," said the IAF in a statement.

It said when COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, it felt the need for an evacuation system that prevents the spread of infectious aerosol from the patient to another person. This indigenously designed system has been developed at a cost of Rs 60,000, which is very less when compared to imported systems which cost up to Rs 60 lakh a piece, the IAF stated.

The isolation system has a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation for an incubated patient, the IAF said. In addition, the pod generates high constant negative pressure in the isolation chamber for prevention of infection risk to air crew, ground crew and health care workers involved in air transportation, the IAF noted.

"This pod will be utilised for evacuation of critical patients with infectious diseases including COVID-19 from high altitude area, isolated and remote places," it added. More than 2.56 lakh have been infected and around 7,100 people have died due to the virus in India till now.