CRI听力:Beijing Launches Air Ambulance Service

Beijing is to establish an air emergency medical service network by the end of the year.

As well as that Beijing Red Cross 999 Emergency Center is planning to launch the first air rescue insurance by year end.

It is hoped it will help cut service expenses remarkably.

An Air ambulance service began in Beijing in 2011, it now costs some 30-thousand-yuan per hour.

Local residents in Beijing have mixed feeling towards the service.

"I think no matter how much it costs, I can never afford it. Maybe it's still too much for common people like us."

"30,000 per hour is too expensive for me. One or two thousand might be acceptable."

"Using helicopters to airlift patients must be a big trend, for it could help the patient get timely treatment. As for expenses, I think, with the support of insurance, it might be alright."

Tian Zhengbiao is President of Beijing Red Cross 999 Emergency Center:

"We have reached an initial agreement with China Life Insurance and Sunshine Insurance Group to launch an air rescue insurance by the end of the year. They only need to pay a small amount of money for it. In case of an emergency in a location that cannot be reached by an ambulance, the air ambulance can be dispatched immediately."

Prices of the air rescue insurance are still being finalized.

The rescue helicopter is able to cover a radius of some 300-kilometers.

It can reach anywhere in the city of Beijing within one hour.

The service is also expected to be able to cover Tianjin, Hebei, and Xi'an.

Now there are five aircraft parking areas in Beijing.

The emergency center says it's planning to build another fifteen aircraft aprons by the end of this year.