The marine ambulance service, earlier planned by the Fisheries Department to streamline its rescue service capabilities, will become a reality in Kozhikode district in two months.
The registration of the custom-made boat, which is now kept at the Cochin Shipyard, has already been completed, and the required number of para-medical staff for supporting its services will be recruited in a fortnight.
Though there was a plan to launch the service last month, the COVID-19 outbreak delayed it further. The poor response to the reported vacancies of para-medical staff was also a reason for postponing the launch.
According to Fisheries Department officials, the boat is equipped with advanced features. It has an approximate length of 22.5 metres with a maximum speed of 14 knots. There are facilities such as examination and nursing rooms, medical beds, mortuary freezer, and medical lockers. As of now, the plan is to have a seven-member team, including two nurses, on board to offer services.
Though the ambulance will be stationed at Beypore, its services will be available across the Malabar coast in case of emergency. There will be two other similar custom-made marine ambulances for covering the central and southern parts of the State.
The Fisheries Department is also likely to seek permission for operating the boat beyond the already fixed 12-nautical mile limit. Many fishermen’s organisations have already come up with similar demand, claiming that the operation of the ambulance within just 12-nautical mile will not fetch the desired results.
Apart from widening the operational limit, they have called for better teamwork with the cooperation of other rescue forces managed by the Navy and the Coast Guard. The system of hiring local fishing boats for rescue activities should be stopped with a better disaster management plan, they said.
Meanwhile, leaders of Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Congress said there should be a better wireless communication system as well for streamlining rescue services. Many a time, poor network interrupts emergency communications which ultimately delays rescue efforts, they claimed.