SpiceJet ties-up with Brussels Airport for

 SpiceJet ties-up with Brussels Airport for seamless delivery of Covid-19 vaccine between India and Europe and beyond

·         Strategic partnership will aid in the global mission of a speedy and reliable solution for vaccine transportation

·         SpiceXpress to provide air connectivity to carry Covid-19 vaccine pan India and internationally with proper temperature-controlled mechanism

SpiceJet, the country’s favourite airline, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Belgium’s Brussels Airport for providing seamless transportation of Covid-19 vaccine.

As strategic partners, both SpiceJet and Brussels Airport Company NV will jointly work with the Government, pharma companies and forwarders to ensure a reliable ecosystem for vaccine delivery in a temperature-controlled environment. Besides, they will also work towards developing and strengthening a direct air link for SpiceJet with Brussels Airport.

 As part of this association, Brussels Airport will be SpiceJet’s first flight point for Europe. The airline’s cargo arm, SpiceXpress, envisions to provide rapid and secure transportation of Covid-19 vaccine from and to Europe and beyond with proper temperature-controlled mechanism under the MoU.

 Brussels Airport shall provide assistance to SpiceJet with regards to slots, networking contracts etc. to provide efficient and speedy solution for delivery. Brussels Airport has several years of expertise in the transport of temperature-sensitive products and has handled multiple flights carrying Covid vaccine recently.

 Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “We are delighted to partner with Brussels Airport in our fight against the pandemic. This tie-up will help SpiceJet to seamlessly transport vaccines not only from Europe and beyond to India but also help Indian manufacturers export extremely sensitive drugs in a safe and controlled environment. We are fully committed and prepared to transport the Covid vaccine and assist in the biggest vaccination drive in the history of mankind.”

 Arnaud Feist, CEO, Brussels Airport Company said, “As Europe’s preferred airport for the transport of temperature-sensitive products, Brussels Airport, certified IATA CEIV Pharma, has more than 30,000m² of temperature-controlled areas. As from today, we have already shipped more than 10 million doses of vaccine from our Brucargo platform to destinations around the world. In this context, we are very pleased to be partnering with SpiceJet and to be able to offer our expertise for the future distribution of vaccines from India within Europe and beyond. Together, we will make our contribution to the solution to this global health crisis.”

 As part of its continued efforts to take up the responsibility of transporting Covid-19 vaccine to every part of the country as well as outside India, SpiceJet has partnered with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo, Om Logistics Ltd., Snowman Logistics among others. 

 With a network spanning 54 domestic and 45 international destinations and a fleet of 17 cargo planes, SpiceXpress is capable of flying over 500 tonnes of cargo per day to both domestic and a wide list of international destinations. The airline has also tied up with global leaders in cold chain solutions offering active and passive packaging with dedicated equipment to perform seamless cold chain operations.

 SpiceXpress has the capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs, vaccines blood samples and medicines in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°c to +25°c. Besides, the airline also offers other benefits such as a network of warehouses equipped with deep freezers to enable change of cool packs and ground vehicles and containers to help transport sensitive cargo.

 Ever since the lockdown began, SpiceJet and its cargo arm, SpiceXpress, has played a critical role and worked relentlessly to ensure that the country’s supply chain remained intact. The airline has helped in the transportation of vital goods and medical supplies to all corners of India and the world. SpiceJet has operated more than 12,600 cargo flights since the lockdown began and carried around 1,02,000 tonnes of cargo. SpiceXpress has the capability of providing door-to-door deliveries to over 12,600 pin codes across India.

ORGAN FLOWN FROM PUNE TO CHENNAI AMIDST THE

ORGAN FLOWN FROM PUNE TO CHENNAI AMIDST THE PANDEMIC FOR A SUCCESSFUL HEART TRANSPLANT AT MGM HEALTHCARE

§  Donor heart flown down to Chennai from Pune by air ambulance

§  ‘Green Corridors’ created in both the cities

Despite the enormous challenges posed during these COVID-19 times, MGM Healthcare, a multi-specialty quaternary care hospital in the heart of the city, today announced the successful completion of a second critical heart transplant in the hospital since the lockdown began.  The heart transplantation was led by Dr. K. R. Balakrishnan, Chairman & Director of Cardiac Sciences and Director of the Heart and Lung Transplant Program at MGM Healthcare, along with his team of transplant specialists including Dr. Suresh Rao K. G. and Dr. Srinath V. The organ transplantation regulatory authorities and surgeons from Pune extended their full support in making this heart transplant a success especially considering that it occurred during the COVID times.

The transplant was performed on a 37-year-old lady from Chennai. She had been suffering from ischemic cardiomyopathy. The patient was suffering from end stage heart failure and transplant was the only form of survival.

MGM Healthcare received an alert on August 15, 2020 about a 39-year-old brain dead female patient at a private hospital in Pune. The cause of her brain death was reported to be Brain Hemorrhage.

MGM Healthcare immediately confirmed the requirement as the recipient was already registered in the waiting list handled by National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). Post registration, she was waiting for a suitable donor. Once the deceased patient in Pune was identified based on medical compatibility, the recipient was informed about the possibility of the transplant taking place after taking consent from the donor’s family.

“The biggest challenge faced was the non-availability of any commercial flight between Pune and Chennai around the organ retrieval time. As the transplant was funded by Tamil Nadu Govt scheme and no commercial flight was not available arranging a chartered flight was challenging. We approached Aishwarya trust for the same and Mrs Chitra was kind enough to sponsor the same and an air ambulance was arranged” said Dr K R Balakrishnan.

The respective Traffic Police Departments in both Pune and Chennai opened ‘Green Corridors’ for road travel from the hospital in Pune to Pune Airport; and from Chennai Airport to MGM Healthcare. The donor organ landed in Chennai at 6:30 P.M. on August 16, 2020. The ambulance carrying the organ reached MGM Healthcare from Chennai Airport in 11 minutes flat, which under normal traffic conditions would take anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half. The transplant procedure started immediately after the heart reached MGM Healthcare. Post-transplant, the patient has been moved to ICU for observation.

Commenting on the transplant Dr Suresh Rao said “The Heart transplant was successfully performed by 9:00 pm and the patient is off ventilator and doing well”.

Speaking on the occasion, Harish Manian, CEO, MGM Healthcare said, “This is indeed a proud moment for MGM Healthcare…an instance where despite the challenges posed on account of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, various state machineries including the Traffic Police Department, Airport Authorities, Air Ambulance seamlessly collaborated to reach the organ to our hospital in the shortest possible time, becoming an integral part of our ‘Healthcaring Movement’. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one who supported us in giving a fresh lease of life to the young lady.”