Lufthansa to offer intensive care unit on all long haul planes
- Written by George Sensalis
From June 2015, the unique "flying intensive care unit" will be available on all planes in the entire Lufthansa long-haul fleet.
The Patient Transport Compartment (PTC) is available in Lufthansa's entire network of long-haul flights leaving from its hubs in the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich. The company has already been using the PTC on its Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340 and A330 aircraft types since 1999.
Approximately 100 intensive care patients are transported in the PTC by Lufthansa every year. A further version of the PTC designed for the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 planes is being fitted in these modern long-haul jets.
The PTC boasts a multitude of advantages compared to a conventional air ambulance, for example a time and cost saving of up to 50 percent because is fitted in a passenger jet.
The roomy interior of the PTC offers enough space for a patient bed, two seats for the doctor treating the patient and a Lufthansa 
crew member and intensive care equipment together with the required material and medication.
With its wide range of medical products, Lufthansa is the world's leading airline. Patients who do not need intensive care with a PTC can book medical services such as stretchers or an oxygen supply before their flight.
Services available from the Medical Operation Centre (MOC) include matters about suitability for flight transport and preparation and provision of medical offers.
Lufthansa also runs the "Doctor on Board" programme, which has already been joined by more than 9000 doctors all over the world. At all of its destinations, Lufthansa can put passengers in contact with contracted doctors for a fee if that they fall ill or need medical assistance.
