Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday launched a boat ambulance service at Majuli to reach out to those in distress in the world’s largest river island.
The sophisticated boat ambulances are equipped with night navigation facility & GPS trekking.
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The boat ambulance with the carrying capacity of two patients along with six other passengers is equipped with life jacket, solar powered refrigerator, light, fan etc where emergency medical service can be provided.
Saying that the Majuli is the epicentre of Vaishnavite culture which has made tremendous contribution to Assam’s cultural identity, Chief Minister Sonowal said that the government is taking a lot of steps to develop the Majuli as a tourism hotspot and increase the flow of tourists into the river island.
The chief minister also ceremonially laid the foundation stone of the Rs 284 Crore integrated office and residential complex at Majuli.
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“Generally it takes two hours to transport a patient across the river. With the introduction of the exclusive river ambulance, a patient can be transported from Kamalabari in Majuli to Neemati in Jorhat in 45 minutes,’’ said an official.
Last year in April, a video emerged which shows a man carrying his 18-year-old brother’s body on a cycle in Majuli, which is the constituency of Chief Minister Sonowal.
The man along with six others had brought his brother, Dimple Das, to the hospital on a bicycle at around 3.30 a.m. on Monday. But Dimple died due to respiratory problems and they left with his body tied to a bicycle.
“We hope such tragedies will not recur with the introduction of this service. The speedboat is made of fibreglass and can comfortably ferry six persons. It can accommodate a maximum of eight persons and has provisions for administering saline drip, oxygen and fire extinguishers,” the official added.