Emergency Boat Service launched in Tehri Lake

ALLinDOON

Staff Reporter

Wed Jan 18, 2012, 15:30 IST

New Tehri: The much-awaited Boat Ambulance Service of GVK EMRI 108 in the Tehri Lake began yesterday, in a glittering ceremony. Uttarakhand is the second state in India to have this facility after Assam in the north east. The area of service will be Asia's largest Tehri Dam reservoir.


While trials had started on this Boat Ambulance service since December last year, it was inaugurated officially yesterday. The Boat comes equipped with stretchers, oxygen cylinders, suction machine, other first aid necessities and essential life saving medicines. The boat pilots all come trained from Assam where they went for a 22 day training in the Inland Water Department.


This service will reduce the travel time for patients in case of emergencies from six hours to a little more than two hours, which means a crucial four hours have been reduced in case of emergency and life threatening cases apart from saving time for pregnant women during deliveries.


The Boat Ambulance will be most convenient for patients in Pratapnagar and Ghansali blocks as they have to make it to the hospital at Baraudi which is the nearest to their locations.  Once the patients reach the other side of the lake, they will be taken to the hospital in a Sumo car which will be stationed there, round the clock.