Over 13 lakh people of the western district of Chuadanga are being deprived of modern ICU ambulance service for over three years as the lone facility remains idle due to lack of trained manpower, thanks to reluctance of the authorities concerned. 

District’s Sadar Hospital is struggling to deal with the huge number of population with only two ambulances, indicating a poor ambulance service compared to the need.

The ICU ambulance, gifted by the Indian government for Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, has been left unused for years and turned into a symbol of neglect, apparently the ambulance is becoming sick itself instead of serving patients.

The state-of-the-art ICU ambulance, equipped with advanced medical facilities, was a part of India's donation to Bangladesh on the occasion of its Golden Jubilee of Independence.

It arrived at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on November 26, 2021, and was handed over to hospital authorities the same day. However, more than three and a half years later, the ambulance remains inoperative due to a lack of trained medical personnel, nurses, and essential equipment.

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No ICU Services in Chuadanga

Surprisingly there is no ICU facility in any government or private hospital in the district, crippling the huge population.  As a result, critically ill patients from Chuadanga Sadar Hospital are regularly referred to Dhaka, Rajshahi, and other medical college hospitals for better treatment.

A functioning ICU ambulance could have played a crucial role in ensuring safer patient transfers, but authorities appear indifferent to its activation.

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Acknowledging the issue, Chuadanga Sadar Hospital Superintendent Dr. Bidyut Kumar Roy said, "Although we have a life-support ambulance, we are unable to operate it due to a lack of trained personnel. We have already communicated with higher authorities about establishing an ICU unit at the hospital. Once the ICU is operational, the ambulance can be put into service."

Chuadanga Civil Surgeon Dr. Hadi Zia Uddin Ahmed said, "The ICU ambulance is under the hospital superintendent's supervision. However, without trained medical staff and doctors, we cannot operate it. That is why it remains unused."

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As critically ill patients continue to suffer due to inadequate emergency transport, the idle ICU ambulance stands as a stark reminder of mismanagement and wasted resources.