India, Aug. 8 -- What began as a routine headache turned into a life-threatening emergency for 57-year-old Tushar Mehta (name changed on request), a resident of Ranchi who suffered a sudden and massive brain haemorrhage in the first week of May, losing consciousness within hours.

In a rare, high-stakes intercity transfer, Mehta was immediately placed on ventilator support and airlifted to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai, 1,700 km away, fighting time and odds. A doctor was on board the air ambulance to take care of Mehta, including managing the ventilator and maintaining blood pressure.

Upon arrival in Mumbai, doctors at the Reliance hospital found dangerously high pressure in the patient's brain and swiftly inserted draina...