Nalbari (India) (AFP) – Residents of India’s northeastern Assam state queue to enter the cabin of a medical clinic boat, part of a network of vessels bringing healthcare to communities isolated by the Brahmaputra river. The state has a population of more than 30 million, with hundreds of thousands living on “chars”, or temporary river islands and sandbars, where even basic healthcare can be a challenge. Despite recent improvements, Assam still has high infant and maternal mortality rates when compared to India’s national average, with the boat clinic system focusing mainly on this area.
