Koyra patients suffer as ambulances remain idle

Due to a shortage of drivers, two ambulances in Koyra Upazila Health complex of Khulna have remain idle in a garage for the past six months, causing severe hardship for local residents in transporting emergency patients.

According to sources at the Upazila Health Complex, the hospital previously had an ambulance driver, Md Abdul Majid, who was transferred to Dighalia Upazila Health Complex in Khulna around six months ago. Since then, no replacement has been made Koyra.

In the absence of a permanent driver, authorities have been provideing limited emergency services using the personal driver of the Upazila Health Officer, hired on an outsourced basis in the public interest.

However, this temporary arrangement has proven insufficient, creating serious difficulties in quickly transporting pregnant women, critically ill patients, and accident victims to hospital. In many cases, patients are forced to hire private vehicles at high cost.

Another ambulance provided to the hospital with funding from JICA is also lying unused. Due to the lack of a driver and a separate operational budget, the vehicle has remained idle in the garage for an extended period.

Hospital authorities said the distance from the upazila headquarters to the health complex is about 14 kilometres, while South Bedkashi is approximately 34 kilometres away.

They noted that if the JICA-funded ambulance could be stationed at the headquarters under the supervision of the upazila parishad, it would help ensure emergency services for residents in remote areas.

President of the Upazila Climate Action Forum, Russell Ahmed, said Koyra is a disaster-prone area frequently affected by cyclones and floods.

Poor patients often have to travel about 110 kilometres to reach the district or divisional headquarters for emergency treatment.
In such situations, ambulances are the only viable option.

However, due to the absence of drivers, the ambulances remain unused, forcing patients to rely on brokers and private services charging three to four times higher fares.

He demanded immediate recruitment of drivers and restoration of ambulance services.

Several affected residents said that if the two ambulances were operational, patients could access timely medical services at lower cost. Instead, the prolonged lack of drivers has left the vehicles idle and increased public suffering.

They urged the authorities to appoint drivers without delay so that residents of disaster-prone Koyra are not deprived of emergency care.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Mohammad Rezaul Karim said that although the upazila previously had an ambulance driver, no replacement has been posted for about six months following the transfer.

“I am trying to maintain limited services using my personal driver, hired on an outsourced basis, to minimise public inconvenience. The higher authorities have been informed about the need to recruit a driver,” he said.

Deputy Director of the Health Department in Khulna, Dr Md Mujibur Rahman, said several ambulance drivers have recently retired, leaving many upazilas without drivers.

Although recruitment has been completed in other districts, the process in Khulna has been delayed due to complications.

“We are working to resolve the issue with the authorities as soon as possible. We will also try to provide a driver for the remote Koyra Upazila Health Complex on a priority basis,” he added.