A 60-year-old woman in critical condition was reportedly left without access to the government-operated 108 boat ambulance service in Assam’s Dhubri district after the emergency vessel at Fakirganj ghat remained non-functional, according to local residents.
The incident came to light after Siriya Begum, 60, a resident of Fakirganj, suddenly fell critically ill. Her family prepared to take her across the river to Dhubri Medical College and Hospital for emergency treatment and contacted the 108 emergency service seeking a boat ambulance.
However, the family was reportedly informed by the emergency service call receiver that the government-allocated boat ambulance at Fakirganj ghat, operated by GVK EMRI, was out of service. The family was subsequently advised to arrange private transport.
Residents claimed that the boat ambulance had remained non-functional for nearly two years, raising concerns over emergency medical transport for people living in Dhubri’s riverine areas.
For communities located across the Brahmaputra and dependent on waterways to access healthcare facilities, the boat ambulance is intended to provide emergency connectivity, particularly when conventional road transport is difficult or unavailable.
The reported incident has raised concerns among local residents over the functioning of emergency healthcare services in the district.
“If the government-provided emergency boat ambulance isn’t operational when a patient needs it most, what is the purpose of having this facility at the ghat?” local resident Shoriful Islam Prodhani said.
Residents have sought immediate intervention to restore the service, saying the absence of a functional emergency boat ambulance could create difficulties for patients requiring urgent medical attention.
At the time of reporting, there was no official statement from the local administration regarding the status of the boat ambulance, the reason for the prolonged disruption or the timeline for its repair or replacement.
