Odisha to introduce boat ambulances and upgrade 108 service

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to augment the existing healthcare delivery system, Odisha government has decided to allocate six boat ambulances in four districts where people are facing problems in availing 108 ambulance service.

The boat ambulance service will be made available in Koraput, Kendrapara, Kalahandi and Malkangiri districts through state funds, said P K Meherda, health and family welfare secretary.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Saturday between the State government and the Ziquitza Health Care as part of the major initiative to boost health care services.

The government will also shortly add 92 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances to its fleet of 420 ambulances that are now in operation in different parts of the state. Rs 21, 21 crore will be spent towards extending emergency ambulance services in the entire state.

Besides, the state government signed another MoU with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) for imparting post graduation diploma course to the serving doctors in different district headquarters hospital across the State.