Marine ambulances to the rescue of fishermen

Thirty fishermen lose their lives at sea on an average every year due to accidents during fishing. It is in this context that the Government of Keraa has given permission to set up Marine Ambulances to make rescue operations more efficient and to provide first aid in the event of a major accident and to quickly land and save lives.

The Fisheries Department’s first fully equipped Marine Ambulance Boat ‘Pratheeksha’ will be of a big help for the children of the sea and their rescue missions.

The Marine Ambulance specialises in simultaneous critical care for up to five people, 24-hour paramedical staff service, assistance from four specially trained Ceres Q Squads, a portable mortuary and the availability of modern medical equipment and medicines.

Flying off the Marine Ambulance is a dream come true for fishermen who have to work in unsafe conditions. An average of 30 fishermen die at sea every year due to accidents while fishing.
It is in this context that the government has given permission to set up Marine Ambulances to make rescue operations more efficient and to provide first aid in the event of a disaster and to quickly reach the shore and save lives.

In the first phase, Cochin Shipyard was contracted to manufacture three marine ambulances. The total outlay of the project is 18.24 crore at a cost of 6.08 crore per boat. The technical advice on boat building is provided by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) based at Kochi.

At 23 meters long, 5.5 meters wide and 3 meters deep, marine ambulances can safely carry up to 10 people at a time and bring first aid to shore. 700 h. P. Ambulances equipped with 2 Scania engines each will have a maximum speed of 14 knots. The boats are designed in accordance with the standards of the Indian Registry of Shipping.

Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation provides technical staff to operate Marine Ambulances. The services of 4 specially trained Marine Security Squad members selected from the fishermen will also be available.

Marine ambulances named Pratheeksha, Pratyasha and Karunya will be deployed in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode, respectively, and would be available 24 hours a day.