MGM Healthcare Launches Mobile ECMO Ambulance to Expand Critical-Care Reach

The newly launched unit aims to rapidly stabilize patients with severe cardiac or respiratory failure, offering advanced intervention before or during hospital transfer.

Leading multispeciality hospital in Chennai, MGM Healthcare, has launched an advanced mobile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) ambulance.

The vehicle is equipped with a critical care system designed to deliver ICU-level heart-and-lung support outside the hospital setting.

The newly launched unit aims to rapidly stabilize patients with severe cardiac or respiratory failure, offering advanced intervention before or during hospital transfer.

ECMO is a life-support technique that oxygenates and circulates blood outside the body when conventional treatments such as ventilation or CPR are insufficient.

The mobile unit will be manned by a specialised critical-care team including physicians, perfusionists, and ICU-trained nurses, ensuring comprehensive on-site intervention.

ECMO capability built into the mobile ambulance will allow MGM Healthcare to deliver advanced critical-care support in remote settings or during patient transport, helping reduce delays in providing essential, time-sensitive treatment.

The initiative is expected to improve survival chances in critical cardiac or pulmonary emergencies such as cardiogenic shock, severe pneumonia, or respiratory collapse.

Commenting on the launch, Dr Senathi Nanda Kishore, Clinical Director, Senior Consultant & Clinical Lead, Anaesthesiology and Surgical ICU, MGM Healthcare, said, “Timely access to ECMO can be the difference between life and death in cardiopulmonary emergencies. Traditionally, ECMO support has been available only at highly specialised hospitals, but there can be delays in reaching them. For patients suffering severe heart or lung failure in remote locations, every minute without adequate oxygenation or circulation raises the risk of irreversible organ damage, brain injury, or cardiac arrest.”

“The new Mobile ECMO Unit bridges that critical gap by bringing advanced heart–lung life support directly to the patient’s location. It is staffed by expert critical-care physicians, perfusionists, and nurses who enable rapid on-site stabilisation and initiation of life-saving therapy even before hospital arrival,” he further added.

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