Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government would launch a boat ambulance service to help patients reach hospitals smoothly in remote areas cut off by rivers on Wednesday.
The first boat ambulance will be launched at Batighar in Kendrapara. The project cost Rs 5.40 crore.
Six boat ambulances will be added to the fleet, to be part of the 108 ambulance service. Two boat ambulances have been sanctioned for Malkangiri, two for Kendrapara and one each for Koraput and Kalahandi.
According to an official sources, the remaining five boat ambulances will be made operational in a phased manner.
The 108 ambulance service has a fleet of 512 ambulances. Similarly, under the 102 ambulance service, 500 ambulances are deployed across the state, the statement said.
This boat ambulance service includes six boat ambulances and 60 jetties with the walkway. The operational cost for these six ambulances is estimated to be around Rs 90 lakh per annum.
