In Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj Upazila, an acute healthcare crisis has emerged as the area’s sole ambulance has been immobilized for more than three months, leaving approximately 7 lakh residents without essential emergency transport. The halt in service is due to a severe funding shortage for fuel, exacerbating the plight of those in need of urgent medical care. This service interruption means that critically ill patients are no longer transported to the district’s Sadar Hospital or the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) for advanced treatment. Previously, the ambulance played a crucial role in ferrying patients and their families based on medical necessity to these higher-level care facilities. The absence of the ambulance service has severely impacted the community, especially the poor and low-income families who cannot afford private ambulance services. Read more: Health Minister warns unauthorized hospitals and clinics; addresses tragic death of Ayan The financial strain is not limited to those without means; financially stable residents also bear the brunt, facing additional expenses to secure alternative emergency transport. The Shibganj Upazila Health Complex, a 100-bed facility, typically sees over 400 visitors daily, seeking basic medical services — a testament to the community’s reliance on available healthcare resources. Investigations reveal that the ambulance’s operational halt is linked to an outstanding debt of Tk 14 lakh at a local petrol station, leading to a suspension of fuel supply since November 4 last year. Dr. Mahmudur Rashid, the district’s Civil Surgeon, confirmed the crisis, stating that they have reached out to higher authorities, requesting financial support to overcome this critical situation. The ambulance service will resume soon upon arrival of the fund, he added. Read more: Saudi Arabia opens doors to Bangladeshi doctors and nurses: A milestone in skilled manpower recruitment

Bangladesh Ambulance Owners Welfare Association has called for an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their six-point demand, including the withdrawal of taxes imposed by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority(BRTA). The strike of private ambulance owners will begin on Tuesday (July 25, 2023) if the demands are not met by today, said Gulam Mostafa, President of the Bangladesh Ambulance Owners Welfare Association on Monday. Not enough fuel allocation means no ambulance service at Faridpur General Hospital for 45 days Other demands include formation of a national policy on ambulances and the implementation of prime minister’s announced toll-free facility for ambulances. The ambulance owners also demanded parking facilities at all hospitals in the country, the facility to fill up fuel at filling stations without having to wait in lines while transporting a patient, and uninterrupted travel on roads. 4 dead, 3 injured as truck collides with ambulance in Gopalganj

Biman Dutta, a resident of Faridpur town, was at a loss when he needed to shift his father-in-law from Faridpur General Hospital to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College and Hospital (BSMMCH) in the district due to critical condition. As there was no ambulance service at the hospital for over 45 days due to “fuel crisis”, he had to hire a private ambulance that cost him twice as much. Many patients from Faridpur town and adjacent upazilas are facing the same problem due to ambulance shortage as critical patients need to be transferred to BSMMCH and Dhaka for advanced treatment. Read more: Inmates at overcrowded Faridpur jail suffer in absence of medical facilities The hospital authorities are saying this problem has been caused by lack of fuel being allocated. They said they have sent numerous letters to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Ministry of Health seeking funds but are yet to get any response. “Lack of fuel allocation is to blame for patients’ suffering. We owe the local petrol station around TK 3.5 lakh for fuel. We had to halt our ambulance service from November 1, 2022,” said Ganesh Kumar Agarwala, resident medical officer of the hospital.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki visited Cox's Bazar to attend the handover ceremony of ambulances provided to NGO Friendship by Japan through the Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGHSP). "The Project for Provision of Emergency Ambulance Services in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar District" is expected to help improve the medical infrastructure and medical environment by installing three ambulances at the Rohingya camps in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar. Kazi Golam Rasul, senior director and head of health of Friendship, Md Mamunur Rashid, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar, and Md Shamsud Doza, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, attended the ceremony. "I hope these ambulances will save the lives and help improve the medical environment of the Rohingya camps," Ambassador Ito said. The GGHSP began in 1989 and has been contributing to social development at the grassroots level. To date, $16.25 million has been extended to 208 projects in Bangladesh including three projects at the Rohingya camps by Japan. Also read: Chuadanga: Ambulance received from India remains unused

An intensive care unit (ICU) ambulance gifted by the India to Bangladesh is lying idle in the Chuadanga Civil Surgeon’s office for the past six months. The Indian government gifted the ambulance to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on November 26, 2021, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence and also, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. But, the ambulance hasn’t been used yet due to a shortage of trained medical personnel and necessary equipment. None of the public or private hospitals in Chuadanga currently has ICU facilities. The same goes for ICU ambulances. The first ICU unit of the district was started by Sajeda Foundation on August 7, 2021, at a new building inside Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on a temporary basis. Unfortunately, the foundation stopped the operation of the ICU unit as the Covid-19 situation became normal in the district. Read: Chuadanga Sadar Hospital presents stark image of poor waste management “Sometimes, cardiac patients die on their way to the hospital due to not getting life support facilities that can only be provided by ICU ambulances," said Coordinator of Chuadanga Sadar Hospital Dr Ataur Rahman. "We’ve already spoken with higher authorities to restart the ICU facility at our hospital. I expect that the currently unused ICU ambulance will start operating once ICU facilities begin at our hospital,” he added. Chuadanga Civil Surgeon Dr Sajjat Hasan said that the ambulance can’t be operated without trained personnel and necessary equipment. "I’ll take necessary steps to run the ambulance at the earliest,” he said. 

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami on Thursday handed over a life support ambulance and stores of essential medical supplies - oxygen cylinders, respiratory support equipment to Rajiv Prasad Shaha, Managing Director of Kumudini Welfare Trust and Dr Pradip Kumar Roy, Director of Kumudini Hospital. The brand new SML-Brand ambulance is fitted with modern, critical life-saving equipment, and can be used by paramedics and first responders to provide quality emergency care and trauma life support to patients en-route to hospital for treatment. During his visit to Kumudini Complex, the High Commissioner also paid respects at the exquisite Puja Pandal set up within the complex and in the area. Also read: Singra Upazila Heath Complex gets life support ambulance from India He greeted everyone on Maha Nabami and emphasised that the joyous celebrations of Puja by all communities, and the spirit of service to all of humanity fully reflects the generous and inclusive traditions of the Bangladeshi people, as set out in the ideology of the Liberation War, and for which Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led the Bangladeshi people’s struggle for freedom in 1971

Assistant High Commissioner of India in Rajshahi Sanjeev Kumar Bhati has handed over a life support ambulance to Singra Upazila Health Complex.   State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak was present at the ceremony held at Singra Upazila Health Complex, Natore on Tuesday. The brand new ambulance, fitted with modern, critical life-saving equipment, can be used by paramedics and first responders to provide quality emergency care and trauma life support to patients en-route to hospital for treatment, said the Indian High  Commission in Dhaka. Read: Sylhet hospitals: India hands over 2 Life Support ambulances This ambulance is a part of the overall programme for supply of 109 Life Support Ambulances, as announced by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi during his State Visit to Bangladesh in March 2021.

Three people were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between an ambulance and a bus at Bachurbanda area of Taragonj upazila on Wednesday.