Sindh Health Department launched the first riverine boat ambulance service. The project will involve emergency medical aid within flood-prone regions, natural disasters, and areas with a poor road network.
The service was introduced by the Sindh Integrated Emergency Health Services Department using four boats to test the service. The boats have a wireless system of communication and medical equipment. The second step will be to increase the fleet size to 26 boats.
As revealed by Brigadier (Retired) Tariq Qadir Lakhiar, the CEO of Sindh Integrated Emergency Health Services Department, the boat ambulance service targets the citizens who are residing along rivers and lakes but cannot travel due to inability to leave their homes. The service guarantees fast medical care and transfers to hospitals in case of an emergency.
The boat ambulance service has already been tried in Karachi, Thatta, Sujawal and Lake of Keenjhar. Continuous tests are being conducted at Manchar Lake, Larkana, Sukkur and Kashmore.
Recently the model was introduced in the Maritime Expo and was acknowledged by local and international delegations. The authorities verify that such a service is a decisive move towards modernizing emergency operations and enhancing healthcare access to Sindh waterlogged and remote areas.
Sindh Health Department would extend the boat ambulance service to include all the vulnerable waterways populations and it would guarantee provision of health care services within the right time in case of an emergency and minimize the number of deaths.
