Boat ambulance for cut-off area lies unused

KORAPUT: Even as the district administration is all set to introduce bike ambulances for reaching out to people in remote villages of the district, a well-equipped boat ambulance is lying unutilised on the banks of Kolab reservoir in Lamtaput block for the last three months. 

The boat ambulance is meant to facilitate health care for residents of over 40 villages in Kumar Gandhana, Tikarpada, Umbel and Banamaliput panchayats in the Kolab cut-off area. However, owing to apathy of the district and health officials, the ambulance remains untilised depriving people residing in remote areas of basic health care services. The worst sufferers are pregnant women, who face a tough time reaching hospital for delivery. 

The State Government had spent `5.4 crore on six boat ambulances which were launched in four districts earlier this year. Of the six, two each were allocated to Kendrapara and Malkangiri and one each for Kalahandi and Koraput districts. Except the one in the district, the others are operational. 

District emergency officer Gyanajit Tripathy said his department is not concerned with the management of the ambulance. Sources said, Ziqitza Healthcare Limited, which is operating 108 and 102 ambulance services in the State, had supplied the boat ambulance to the State Government. The private firm’s manager Deepak Srivastav could not be contacted for his comments on the matter. 

CDMO Makaranda Beura said he does not have any information on the boat ambulance and has not yet received any instruction from the State Government to make it functional.