Ambulance service closed due to lack of driver

The only government ambulance in Netrokona's Durgapur Upazila Health Complex is of no use to patients. It is kept unused due to lack of driver.

The 50-bed Durgapur Upazila Health Complex is the only place of treatment for 2.5 lakh people in the upazila. People from the neighboring Kalmakanda and Dhobaura upazilas also take treatment here. But there is only one ambulance for so many people. Now there is no one to drive it either.

In this situation, people have to rely on private ambulances, microbuses and other vehicles to get emergency medical services, as they cannot get government ambulances. Patients are facing additional fares and extreme suffering.

It was known that, the ambulance driver of the health complex was temporarily suspended two years ago. Although the ambulance was stopped for a long time, later the ambulance was driven by the jeep driver of the Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer through outsourcing. In mid-November last year, the jeep driver was also removed from duty.

Earlier, on January 9 last year, the driver of that jeep was removed from driving the government ambulance in the death of a newborn during a fare negotiation and an investigation committee was formed. However, the investigation did not gain momentum, so he was reinstated as the driver at that time. This time, the driver of that jeep was again removed from the duty of driving the ambulance two months ago. Due to this, the ambulance stopped carrying patients for the last two months and was locked in the garage.

According to sources at the Upazila Health Complex, the hospital was established in 1984 for medical services. To ensure emergency medical services to patients, the Health Department provided 2 ambulances in 1996, 1 ​​in 2000 and 1 in 2006. However, two of the ambulances initially caught fire after five years. Then, due to mechanical problems, the remaining two ambulances became inoperable by 2012 and the service was stopped. Although the last ambulance provided in 2019 was operational, it has been closed for two months due to lack of a driver and has been locked in the garage.

Meanwhile, it was also learned that patients spend Tk 1230 to go from Durgapur to Mymensingh to take government ambulance services. However, if they go by private ambulance, they have to spend Tk 3000-4000. Some have to delay taking patients to Mymensingh due to lack of money.

Relatives of several patients who came to the hospital for treatment said that even though there is a government ambulance, due to its inoperability, patients have to be taken to outside hospitals for better treatment by paying more for alternative arrangements. Therefore, they demanded that an ambulance driver be provided quickly to reduce the suffering.

In this regard, Dr. Tanjirul Islam Raihan, the Health and Family Planning Officer (Acting) in charge of the health complex, said, "The original driver of the government ambulance was fired two years ago and no new driver has been hired since then. The government jeep has been used for the operation. This time, that driver has also been removed from duty, due to which patient transport has been stopped for two months."

He also said, "We have applied in writing to the higher authorities for the appointment of a driver. So far, no driver has been posted."

Netrokona District Civil Surgeon Dr. Anupam Bhattacharya said, "We are in the process of hiring a driver. Even then, since it is an urgent matter, we will talk to the divisional sir and see what can be done to start it under his instructions."