SBI floats India's first river ambulance

To facilitate tribal community residing in Bargi dam backwater, Jabalpur revenue division State Bank of India on Friday donated India's first river ambulance (mini floating hospital) to an non-government organisation Narmada Samagra.

Speaking to Business Standard, chief general manager SK Mishra said ,“The ambulance will run on Narmada River at a maximum speed of 30 Kms and will attend patients in those areas where vehicular tariff is almost impossible. The tribal, mainly fishermen will get medical facilities. The ambulance (a boat) will be equipped with medical facilities like minor operation theatre. It will remain anchored for whole day during Haat bazaars in backwater areas of Bargi dam, mainly tribal dominated areas to provide medical facilities. In case of casualties, it will also ferry patients to nearby motorable roads so that they can reach nearby hospital.” The bank officer claimed it is the first river ambulance in the country.

Divisional commissioner Ravindra Pastor also said that he would ensure at least one doctor and two other trained medical staff on the ambulance and sufficient medical facilities. “It will cover an area of 110 km from Sahastradhara (Mandla) village to Bargi dam (Jabalpur) thus it will cover population of at least eighty villages.”

SBI, as a part of its CSR, had recently donated Rs 1.20 lakh ceiling fans to government-run schools. Of them 13420 were donated in schools.