VESSEL REVIEW | Saint Luke – Russian hospital ship to be operated in inland waters

Russian shipbuilder Port Kolomna has completed construction of a new hospital ship designed for operation in inland waters.

Classed by the Russian Classification Society (RKO), the Project 132PK vessel has been named Saint Luke (Святитель Лука; Svyatitel Luka) in honour of the Ukrainian-born Russian physician and cleric Luke of Simferopol, who is also venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Serving remote inland communities

According to Russian media, Saint Luke is Russia’s first purpose-built, self-propelled hospital ship designed for inland waterway navigation.

The vessel has a length of 65 metres (210 feet), a beam of 10.8 metres (35.4 feet), a draught of only 1.3 metres (4.3 feet), a depth of 3.2 metres (10 feet), a displacement of 650 tons, and space for 12 crewmembers, 25 medical personnel and up to 50 patients.

Full suite of medical compartments fitted on an ice-strengthened hull

The onboard facilities include 25 clinic/examination spaces, laboratories, and ultrasound and X-ray rooms.

The vessel's size and her shallow draught will permit operation along the Ob and Irtysh Rivers and their respective tributaries. An operating speed of just under 13 knots will meanwhile enable her to sail up to 500 kilometres (310 miles) in one day.

Inland waterway transport specialist Severrechflot will be the operator of the vessel, which will serve the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug in west-central Russia.

Construction of Saint Luke was undertaken in compliance with RKO Ice 20 rules, which indicate safe navigation in surface ice up to 20 cm thick.