Marine dispensary, ambulance to be launched on May 18
On Thursday (May 15, 2025), K. N. Unnikrishnan, MLA, told reporters that the ambulance boat was fully equipped to meet all medical requirements. The hop-on marine dispensary boat was to serve the Kadamakkudy panchayat, where around 2,400 patients each month needed regular medical care and lived without direct road access to nearby hospitals. The marine dispensary was to visit the group of islands according to a fixed schedule.
Kadamakkudy panchayat comprises 14 islands, 13 wards, and a population of around 17,000. Dependence on waterways for access to healthcare remains a crucial factor. A mobile medical unit had been in operation earlier, but its licence expired. The need to replace the old service was flagged by the NGO Plan@earth.
The marine ambulance and dispensary will operate between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., six days a week, with a doctor, staff nurse, pharmacist, and attendant available on board. The new service will cater to the entire population, including communities of pokkali farmers, fishermen, daily wage earners, NREGS workers, the unemployed, and the elderly.
During its first two years of operation, the panchayat will run the boat ambulance.
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