Fisheries dept invites bids for sea ambulances

Bengaluru: Before the end of 2025, Karnataka will have sea ambulances to handle medical emergencies at sea, reports Udbhavi Balakrishna.

The fisheries department has initiated the tender process to procure three sea ambulances, which will be high-speed boats equipped with emergency medical facilities. One ambulance each will be stationed at the harbours in Mangaluru, Malpe and Tadadi.

Within the next year, Karnataka will have sea ambulances equipped to handle medical emergencies out at sea.

Keeping in line with the budget announcement made in February this year, the Department of Fisheries has taken the first step by initiating the tender process to procure three sea ambulances. It has called for tenders from reputed boat building yards, companies and agencies, to construct and provide them.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also finance portfolio, had announced the decision to introduce a sea ambulance service at a cost of Rs 7 crore in his budget speech. One ambulance each will be stationed at the Mangaluru harbour, Malpe harbour, and Tadadi harbour along the coastline.

These sea ambulances will help provide timely medical attention and evacuate stranded or injured people as part of emergency services for people in distress at sea. It can also be deployed to transfer patients and provide on-site medical support during any maritime events, notes the tender notice document. The notice document details that the contractors must construct high-speed boats made of first-quality marine-grade steel and be capable of reaching 14 knots (nautical miles per hour). Specifications for the sea ambulance include firefighting appliances such as fire hydrants and extinguishers, life-saving equipment including 20 life jackets and buoys, two rafts, oxygen cylinders and hand flares, and medical equipment including an automatic external defibrillator, electrocardiogram and a refrigeration unit for bodies.

The boats must also have enough capacity and facilities to provide for five patients, one paramedical staff and six crew. The tenders to hire these personnel will be called once the boats are procured by the department. The last date for eligible bidders to respond to the e-tender notice is in the last week of October, with the department opening technical bids by October 25 and financial bids five days later. The contract for the construction of the boats and procurement of all the necessary equipment is for a year which begins 15 days from the date of signing the contract.

“The estimated cost per boat is Rs 1.2 crore, excluding about Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh for equipment. So we estimate that the total cost for three boats should be within

Rs 5 crore. The contractor’s payment will be released in stages of construction and assembling of units,” said a senior technical personnel with the fisheries department told DH.

According to the tender notice, the successful bidder must complete the first stage of work within three months from when the contract was awarded after the monitoring committee approves the design, and complete the commissioning of the boat within nine months. Failure to do so will lead to up to Rs 2 lakh in penalty.