Global Leaders in Invention for Social Change Convene
River ambulance to provide medical services to char people of North Bengal
A river ambulance is afloat on the river Jamuna to provide medical services to the monga-hit char people of North Bengal, reports BDNEWS. 'Friendship', a private charity organisation, will launch the medical service from the next month. The ambulance, to be run by an engine-driven boat, will cover Kurigram and Gaibandha districts in the first phase.
French citizen Yves Marre who is a naval architect and his wife Runa Khan Marre, who hails from Tangail, have been providing medical services through a ship-turned hospital called 'Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital' to the char people of North Bengal for the past three years.
Runa Marre is also an Ashoka Fellow. The Marre couple are the initiators of the river ambulance.
Runa Marre told BDNEWS that this unique ambulance, which is 20 metres in length and six metres in width, would at first be used to bring patients to the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital from the remote char areas.
If necessary, critical patients would be sent to nearby district hospitals, she added.
Runa said it is the first ever endeavour to introduce this kind of ambulance service in our country. Such types of ambulance are not even available in the neighbouring countries, she added.
This type of ambulance is very useful in carrying patients to hospital on an emergency basis in the riverine country, she said.
According to her, more such ambulances need to be introduced in our country.
"We want to extend our support with a plan of the boat and other relevant consultancy services, if governmental or private initiators wish to introduce such type of ambulance service in the country, she said.
On how the patients from the remote char areas would be identified, Runa said, "We have provided one mobile phone set for each temporary health centre and other projects which we have established in the remote char areas almost on a voluntary basis. With the help of the cell phone, the news will reach within minutes.
She said, 'Joyark', a British-based organisation, is financially assisting the 'Friendship River Ambulance'.
