Gujarat boat ambulances handle 777 medical emergencies

Gujarat’s boat ambulance service, part of the state’s 108 Emergency Response Service, recorded 777 medical emergency interventions between April 2018 and September 2026. The service provides critical pre-hospital care and transport for residents of remote islands, coastal villages, and offshore fishing crews in areas where road access is limited.

Pregnancy-related complications were the most frequent cause for dispatch, accounting for approximately 46 per cent (355 cases) of all interventions. The majority of these cases, 350, were handled by the Okha unit in the Devbhumi Dwarka district, particularly serving residents of Beyt Dwarka.

Other significant emergency types included cardiac emergencies (82 cases), severe abdominal pain (105 cases), and non-vehicular trauma related to fishing vessels or docks (83 cases). The service operates two vessels: one stationed at Okha, which handled 720 missions, and another at Porbandar, which responded to 57 cases.