Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray on Thursday met health minister Dr Deepak Savant to moot the idea of a boat ambulance. Savant has agreed to prepare a feasibility report on the same.

If this becomes a reality, citizens will be able to avail a boat ambulance after dialing 108 for a medical emergency, enabling patients from far-flung Konkan areas to reach Mumbai.

Savant told media persons that the boat ambulance service exists in a few states in the country. Admitting to lacunae, which have stopped the service coming here and which were brought to his notice by Aditya during the latter's presentation, Savant said there are 17 states which are ahead of Maharashtra when it comes to efficiency of the emergency ambulance service.

He made it clear that even though ambulances which are part of the service reach on time, due to lack of trained staff attending the vehicles, fatality during transit is high in the state. He said there are ambulances lying idle which would be used to strengthen the emergency service.

Interestingly, Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, had recently approached BMC commissioner Sitaram Kunte, seeking permission to carry out de-infestation on eight mealybug-infested trees in Shivaji Park.