With the public sector ambulance services in bad shape, there is a growing need for private sector ambulances to cater to the ever-increasing demand of the patients.
Without having sufficient facilities essential for supporting critical patients on their way to hospitals during emergencies, a large number of private ambulances are fleecing patients of different public hospitals in the city, as there aren’t enough public ambulances to cater to patients.
As a result, people often fall in the trap of such ambulance operators who risk the lives of patients as their vehicles neither have trained attendants nor equipment. There are also no designated lanes for the ambulances to operate in the capital. Besides, there is no rule yet to slap fine, if a driver fails to make room for an ambulance flashing lights, while carrying patients.
It is often seen that some NGOs, institutions, private clinics, or hospitals use ambulances to ferry their officials and doctors during hartals. Sometimes, ambulances are seen carrying passengers during political turmoils as ambulances provide “immunity” during trouble in the streets. As a result, private ambulance operators use their vehicles like rented microbuses.
Such ambulances could be often seen near the the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), which is often the most preferred destination of patients during emergencies. In comparison to the money needed to avail public ambulance services available from the Fire Service, the DMCH or a charity like Anjuman-e-Mafidul Islam, people hiring private ambulances often have to shell out a huge amount of money and, that too, getting the necessary facilities.
During investigation, it was found that every day a large number of private ambulances gather near different hospitals, including the DMCH. Most of these vehicles are not well equipped and neither the helper nor the driver have any professional training to attend to cardiac patients or pregnant women threatening their lives.
It was also observed that the DMCH has only two active ambulances out of its fleet of four, to cater to the rising demands of over 400 patients arriving or going out of the hospital daily. Such a situation gives opportunity to ambulance operators to exploit the needy patients at odd hours, or during emergencies.
According to the country’s Central Medical Stores Depot’s (CMSD) latest specification of 2012, at least 10 equipment are mandatory for such vehicles in the country. These are oxygen cylinders with regulator and holder/stand, oxygen inhaler, including flow meter with humidifier for oxygen inhaler, oxygen resuscitator (auto valve system), wheeled main stretcher with straps and
handle, alloy/stainless steel body, sub-stretcher with handle foldable at the side, alloy/stainless steel body, first-aid box, electric suction apparatus, DC electricity supply directly or by appropriate inverter capacity, fire extinguisher, electric fan in the patient cabin, and nebuliser.
Talking about the quality and standard of the exiting private ambulances in the country, Dr MM Aktaruzzaman, assistant director of the CMSD, said, most private ambulances are not well equipped, putting the lives of patients in jeopardy.
Agreeing that there should be more ambulances in public hospitals, DMCH director Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman said the patients would have never approached private ambulance operators, had the public hospitals got more ambulances.
During a visit to different hospitals, this correspondent found that most private ambulance drivers own the vehicles. Biplob Ahmed, 35, a driver of a private ambulance hailing from Savar, said he had purchased the vehicle from a private clinic in the city. He added that after purchasing the old vehicle, he modified it and collected all supporting papers related to the vehicle.
Asked how much he earns, he said it depends on the distance. He added that the rent is higher if the patient is from outside the capital. When asked whether he has followed the CMSD regulations about keeping the facilities or support services for patients in his ambulance, he said he doesn’t have any idea about it. However, he added that his vehicle has an oxygen cylinder, a stretcher, and two helpers.
However, many drivers of the DMCH said none of any private ambulances are well equipped, and also do not have legal papers. One of them said a syndicate is also involved in this business. He added that private ambulance operators are so organised that if they ask for Tk. 4,000, patients are forced to pay the money, as other ambulances would also ask for the same amount.
It was found that the rent of a government ambulance is Tk. 10 per kilometre, at any place of Dhaka City Corporation, and within Tk. 300. Besides, there are free ambulance services from the Anjuman-e-Mafidul Islam, a public service body, which buries unclaimed bodies or take them to hospitals.
-With The Independent input
