Mangaluru: Karnataka to get its first ever Boat Ambulance

Mangaluru is set to get Karnataka’s first Boat Ambulance. The Fishermen’s Organisation of Ullal has contributed to this development. The ambulance will be equipped with oxygen cylinders and other medical equipment. It is designed to [provide emergency assistance in order to save lives. 

Rs 17 lakh have been spent to procure the boat ambulance. 

Fishermen of Ullal who use barges and gillnets initiated a plan to make this service available to themselves. This will respond to accidents that occur in the depths of the sea. The ambulance will be stationed on the docks of Ullal. The ambulance will also consist of life jackets. A 15-member team has been put in place for the smooth functioning of this service. 

This was one of the promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress Government had also promised to do this. The fisherman community however took the initiative themselves. 

Earlier this year, several boatmen lost their lives as the cyclones had hit the coasts in the Dakshina Kannada district. This has been a longstanding demand of the community. Earlier, the Coastal Security Boats would facilitate emergency operations but they only had first-aid services at their disposal. They did not have capabilities to handle complications.