Karnataka will get its first sea ambulance by May 2026 to aid fisherfolk out in the deep sea, according to the state's Minister of Fisheries, Ports and Inland Waterways, Mankal S. Vaidya.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the modernisation of the Mangaluru Fishing Harbour in Bunder on Saturday, he noted that the tender to procure the sea ambulance had already been processed.
Vaidya added that a Chennai-based company had bagged the tender, and is currently busy constructing the sea ambulance.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced in the 2024-25 State Budget that Rs 7.85 crore would be allocated for a sea ambulance system, said to be a long-time demand of the fishing community.
The tender specifications for the sea ambulance included firefighting appliances such as fire hydrants and extinguishers, life-saving equipment including 20 life jackets and buoys, two rafts, oxygen cylinders, and hand flares, as per a Deccan Herald report.
The ambulance will also have some paramedical staff in addition to medical equipment onboard, such as an automatic external defibrillator, electrocardiogram (ECG), and a refrigeration unit for bodies (a mini-mortuary).
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According to the State Director of Fisheries, Dinesh Kumar Kaller, the sea ambulance's engine will also get almost double the power of a regular deep-sea fishing vessel engine—800 hp, instead of 350-400 hp.
"Fishermen also protect the coasts of Karnataka, so there is a need for the government to think about their problems too ... There is no place to anchor all the boats of fishermen. The state and central governments will have to work jointly to solve their grievances," Vaidya had said on Saturday.