If necessary, patients likely to be infected with coronavirus will be transported in a specially equipped ambulance helicopter, which is on round-the-clock duty at the State Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine, said Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov.

"Ukrainian State Emergencies Service's Mi-8 ambulance helicopter, specially equipped for transporting infectious patients, has taken up a round-the-clock duty," Avakov said on the air of the "Right to Power" (Pravo na Vladu) program on 1 + 1 TV channel on Thursday night.

The minister said that the helicopter participated in UN peacekeeping missions and the last time worked in the Republic of Mali. It was handed over to the State Emergency Service under the terms of a gratuitous contract. The crew and medical staff of the helicopter consists of physicians who have undergone special training.

"These people worked during the Ebola epidemic: they performed evacuation of patients and carried out rescue operations. The helicopter can take four to six patients during one flight. Evacuation on it is possible at a distance of 1200 km, that is, throughout our country," the minister said.

At the same time, he emphasized that the helicopter is still operated by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine under a special contract with Ukrainian Helicopters company. Specialists are ready to work on it in the most difficult conditions.

The minister also said that the helicopter is equipped with an insulating capsule BIO-BAG EBV-30/40, bioprotective kits, a disinfecting shower, an isolation chamber and a special module in which the capsule is fixed during the flight.