Malkangiri: With the launch of an unique boat ambulance service, the long wait of people in the cut-off regions of Chitrakonda block in this district came to an end Tuesday.
Realising the plight of the marooned people, the administration launched the service which was inaugurated by MLA Dambaru Shisha at Spillway Ghat of Balimela reservoir in the block.
The boat would function more as a floated hospital and provide health care to the people of 60 villages in the cutoff regions, it was learnt.
Built at a cost of Rs66 lakh under the Integrated Action Plant (IAP), the boat has five rooms having a special chamber for the doctor, a blood examination centre and four beds for the patients.
Apart from a doctor, the small dispensary-on-water would also have a pharmacist, two health workers and two lunch drivers on board to offer health care facilities for 20 days a month under Chitrakonda community health centre. The panchayats likely to get benefit from this unique service include Panaspat, Jodamba, Andrapali and Jantri.
The state health department has provided free medicines and other essentials needed by this ambulance.
Apart from Chitrakonda MLA Shisha, chief district medical officer Uday Shankar Mishra, district project director of National Health Mission Shubhakanta Gantayat were also present during the launching of the service.
According to reports, more than 30,000 people of 151 villages live in Chitrakonda cut-off region for whom basic health care facility was a dream.
Though there is a primary health centre at Jodamba, it fails to serve people in time, it was learnt. PNN
