Boat Ambulance
A lifeline on the water — bringing emergency healthcare to the river-bound communities of Rangabali, where the nearest hospital was once a night-long journey away.
When the river stands between life and care.
In the char (river-island) areas of Patuakhali, water surrounds everything. For the roughly 1.5 lakh people of Rangabali, Chalitabunia, Char Mantaj, Chhoto Baishdia and Boro Baishdia, every medical emergency once meant crossing the River Agunmukha by trawler to reach the nearest hospital in Galachipa — a journey that could take a whole night and cost vital hours.
The idea for a boat ambulance came to OBHIZATRIK Foundation while building a school for underprivileged children in Latar Char. Volunteers heard story after story of critical patients waiting through the night for a boat. In partnership with IDLC Finance Limited, the foundation designed and built MB Paira — named for the river that wraps around these islands.
Launched in January 2020, the 26-foot vessel was designed by the foundation itself, with space reserved even for emergency deliveries. Today it carries patients to care for the cost of fuel alone.
Donate Now →
See MB Paira on the water.
At a Glance
A purpose-built vessel equipped with emergency oxygen, medicine and first aid — staffed by a driver, manager and medical assistant.
Operational requirements.
A deliberately simple, low-footprint operation: one boat, a small crew and fuel as the only major recurring input. No grid electricity is needed — a solar setup keeps the cabin running.
Moments on the water.
When no one dared to come close, MB Paira did.
At the height of COVID-19, MB Paira became the island’s only carrier — the single vessel willing to transport the bodies of those who had died of the virus, across waters that everyone else refused to cross.
And when fear kept others away, our volunteers stepped forward. They carried and buried the dead with dignity, performing the last rites that no one else would dare to touch — standing with these families in their most desolate hour.
“When I called the driver, the ambulance arrived within half an hour. It took us 30 minutes to reach the nearest healthcare centre — and we were charged for the fuel only.”Hasan, RangabaliWhose wife reached care in time during a complicated delivery
Keep the lifeline running.
Your support keeps MB Paira fuelled, staffed and ready — so no family on the chars has to wait through the night for care.
Donate Now →