Army orders for 3,000 HAPO bags to fight high-altitude sickness

Maintaining its position along the Actual Ground Position Line, the Indian Army battles on the highest terrains in Siachen glacier region where the inclement weather is its biggest adversary. The forbidding terrains have claimed more casualties then the enemy's bullets.Despite improved living conditions and hi-tech communication facilities, army personnel stationed at higher terrains often fall prey to high-altitude pulmonary oedema (Hapo). Hapo is a condition where water collects in lungs of the infected and takes a life-threatening form. The only remedial measure for this illness is to immediately evacuate the soldier to lower altitudes and pump in fresh oxygen. But at these posts, where every move is a laborious exercise, where a helicopter evacuation is at the mercy of the weather gods, the survival options are minimal.Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) in Bangalore has unveiled a unique solution for those affected by Hapo. It has developed a life-saving Hapo bag. Patients affected by Hapo can wait in these magical bags, till evacuated to safer climes. Hapo normally sets in when soldiers posted at high altitudes of about 3,000 metres are exposed to the feral elements. Water accumulation in the lungs of the patient leads to a rise in the carbon-dioxide levels in the body. Once tucked into a Hapo bag, the patients’ condition is reversed. The bag absorbs carbon dioxide from the body by increasing pressure, temperature and pumping in oxygen, DEBEL director V C Padaki explained.The Hapo bag has been extensively field-tested and the Army has ordered around 3,000 Hapo bags costing one lakh rupees each. Debel, a DRDO unit, which developed the Hapo bag has transferred the technology to three private industries in Pune, Rajkot and Kolkata. “We have transferred knowledge to these three private industries who have been our development partners. They are now manufacturing the bags. Around 1,100 Hapo bags are in the process of being delivered to the Army. The entire lot will be made by the end of the year. This will help the Army reduce its casualty rates,” Padaki said.Padaki said DEBEL is not interested in exporting or selling these bags to private parties involved in mountaineering expeditions. “We are trying to meet the requirements of the Army alone. That is our priority.” The unique feature of the Hapo bag is the ability to rejuvenate the patient in debilitating conditions. “The person can easily be inside the bag for a week. This helps if the unit is caught up in bad weather and the patient cannot be transferred to lower altitudes or given immediate medical help,” averred one of the scientists.Once an officer or jawan is nestled inside the life-saving bag, the Army unit can think of options to evacuate him. Presently, a foot pump needs to be operated to keep the patient stable. Debel is experimenting with other viable options like the hand pump, which can be operated by the patient himself. The one-man portable Hapo chamber is meant for operations in Kashmir, Siachen, Ladakh, Himalayan posts and the North East. The cost of the imported bags varies from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh per piece. “The Hapo bags developed by Debel have been designed for the Indian soldier. A lot of foreign exchange can be saved due to this indigenous effort,” Padaki affirmed.