River
Ambulance Service (Dispensary on Hovercraft)
Rescuing Patients from Remote Villages along the Narmada River
Update
River
Ambulance Service is been launched recently. Please see the details
here.
Introduction
Remote- Area Medical Services for villages along Narmada.
Operating Stations
Services Offered
Introduction
In
a follow up of an announcement in Bandrabhan Declaration 2010, in
concluding summit of the 2nd International River Festival, Narmada
Samagra, a trust dedicated to serve Narmada and people in Narmada
valley will be launching River Ambulance Service in 3 major reservoirs
of Narmada. Anil Madhav Dave, a member of parliament and the main
inspiration behind the Narmada Samagra movement gave the details of
the scheme.
Construction
of a series of dams on Narmada has affected the lives of local people
in many ways. One impact has been isolation of a number of remote
villages due to filling up of Bargi, Indira Sagar and Sardar Sarovar
reservoirs. In a region, dominated by highly undulating terrain, steep
slopes and gorges comprising predominantly of basaltic rocks and black
cotton soil, many areas become almost totally cut off from rest of
the world during monsoons. Due to lack of adequate medical facilities
at village level, and absence of means of public transportation, residents
of such remote, inaccessible villages often fail to access prompt
medical facilities and face severe health hazards. Many of them unable
to reach the accessible point in time, suffer endlessly or even lose
their lives in absence of timely medical care. This often becomes
a question of life and death for acute patients of malaria, diarrhoea,
hepatitis, Pneumonia, Gastero-enteritis, Encephalitis and some other
common diseases prevalent in the region. In addition, old age patients,
pregnant ladies and newly born babies also have to suffer a lot during
such periods when movement along Narmada becomes almost impossible
during floods.
The
state fall amongst six states in India, which contribute maximum to
maternal morality ratio (MMR) in the country. It has maternal mortality
ratio of 370 maternal deaths per one-lakh live births, meaning a women
dies every hour in the state while she gives birth to a new life or
within 42 days after delivery. The medical reasons could be many like
haemorrhage, sepsis, unsafe abortion, obstructed labor, hypertensive
disorders. But importantly it is about providing basic facilities
in rural areas including those at the time of delivery. Many underlying
factors like anemia, poor food quality, low status of women, and timely
accessibility of medical facilities contribute immensely to the above
medical reasons and maternal deaths. The problem in areas affected
by reservoirs on Narmada is further compounded by inaccessibility
induced by the recently constructed dams.
Taking
note of such a need, Narmada Samagra, a Bhopal based Trust, dedicated
to the environment of Narmada is going to introduce a River Ambulance
service in the form of a hovercraft equipped with life saving medical
and rescue equipment. It is unique and the first of its kind public
service scheme in India for the most affected people from construction
of dams. Shri
Dave told that, this scheme will be launched simultaneously in 3 major
reservoirs on Narmada, namely- Bargi, Indira Sagar, and Sardar Sarovar.
He explained that a Hovercraft Ambulance has several benefits in a
unique basaltic undulating terrain of Narmada river. Hovercrafts travel
at up to 70 km/h, They navigate sandbanks and obstructions, can carry
up to 50 people or 40 ft cargo at high speed. Hovercrafts cab be used
on fast flowing water such as Flooded rivers as current has little
effect on craft when hovering. This means the pilot is able to maintain
speed and direction or even remain stationary, maintaining position
to carry ut recues withoout fighting the current Hovercraft can be
launched onto rivers and floodwater without use of a slipway.
Hovercraft
can be operated over underwater obstructions such as rocks, tree stumps
and debris without hindrance and there is no propeller to foul. No
propeller in the water means less risk to casualties in the water
or crew when working close to craft. Hovercraft can also be used on
mixed surfaces where boats cannot be effective such as areas which
require negotiating water and dry areas to get to casualties and can
cross water to work on areas of dry or un-flooded land. Ad well as
working over deep water, the hovercraft can work on tidal or river
areas, marshlands, lakes a mud flats. Such qualities of a hovercraft
make it an ideal means of communication in rugged terrain of Narmada
full of invisible underwater basaltic rocks and other submerged obstructions,
occurring abundantly in area proposed to be covered under the scheme.
Top
Remote-
Area Medical Services for villages along Narmada.
Critically
ill patients require an integrated care that is relatively simple
to provide in the urban setting but extremely challenging in remote
environments with limited on-site facilities and prolonged transfer
times to care of an appropriate level. Timely assistance to patients
can save their life through emergency first-aid and shifting to duly
equipped medical center.
Operating
Stations
The
scheme will be operated in three segments of Narmada covering 3 major
reservoirs. Details of proposed operating stations for the facility
and the area covered by each of them will be as follows:-
Station
Name
-
| Station
Name |
Reservoir
|
Area
to be Covered |
| Sahastradhara
(Mandla) |
Bargi |
Between
Mandla & Bargi |
| Nemawar
- Handia |
Indira
Sagar |
Between
Nemawar and Punasa |
| Barwani
|
Sardar
Sarovar |
Between
Barwani and Hapeshwar |
Services
Offered
Narmada
Samagra would provide the following services with the River ambulance:
1. On- site
First- aid and mobile clinic on hovercraft boat.
2. Medical
personnel: Doctors. Paramedics and rescue specialists
3. Some
basic testing facilities for Malaria, B.P., Sugar, etc.
4. Vaccination
and immunization services.
5. Pre
and post- natal care facilities.
6. Stretchers,
safety and rescue equipment to shift critically ill patients to
suitable nearby medical centres.
Top
|