Jharkhand to launch first boat ambulance on May 15 to extend health facilities

Jharkhand first boat ambulance service will start its operations from Sahibganj district next week on May 15, an official said on Saturday. 

This facility will help extend health facilities to more than two lakh people living in the Diara area, a stretch of land located near the river Ganga.

Earlier, the Jharkhand government launched air ambulance services from Ranchi and six other centres. 

The decision was taken to facilitate treatment for seriously ill people by connecting higher medical centres which are located in different states.

The Sahibganj administration has procured as many as two boat ambulances from the district mineral foundation trust (DMFT) fund.

Each boat ambulance is priced at Rs 29.17 lakh and arrived in Sahibganj on Friday. The boat ambulance can carry as many as six people.

The boat ambulance will also contain first aid, ECG, oxygen inhaler, and flow meter according to Sahibganj civil surgeon Dr Ramdeo Paswan.

The ambulance boats will be GPS-enabled and equipped with fire extinguishers and masthead lights for night navigation.