Govt plans nationwide ambulance pool from next fiscal year

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The government plans to introduce a nationwide ambulance pool from the next fiscal year to make patient transportation easier, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said on Wednesday.

He said the initiative aims to reduce the difficulties patients face in arranging ambulances to reach hospitals. The minister made the remarks while speaking to journalists after visiting Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex in Cumilla.

His announcement came as patients and their families faced transportation difficulties at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for a second consecutive day amid a strike by private ambulance operators demanding designated parking facilities. The operators suspended their strike for seven days on Wednesday.

Discussing the development of healthcare facilities at the upazila level, Sakhawat said former President Ziaur Rahman introduced 19-bed hospitals to bring medical services closer to rural communities. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia later expanded these facilities to 31-bed and 50-bed hospitals.

He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had initiated a plan to upgrade the facilities to 151-bed hospitals. Alongside increasing bed capacity, the government intends to expand essential medical services and improve healthcare facilities at the upazila level.

The minister expressed satisfaction with the overall management of Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex, noting improvements in its environment. However, he said some irregularities and shortcomings identified during his visit had been reported to the relevant authorities.

Speaking at another programme in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria, Sakhawat accused the previous government of damaging the health sector through corruption and misappropriation of public funds.

He said the current government was working to strengthen transparency and accountability while ensuring quality healthcare services reached people across the country.

The minister alleged that expensive medical equipment purchased with public funds had been left unused at healthcare facilities. He said the government was pursuing reforms in line with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption.

Sakhawat also announced that tendering for projects worth Tk 16,000 crore would begin soon, with implementation expected to be completed within two years.

Plans are progressing to establish specialised treatment centres for cancer, kidney and heart diseases in all eight divisions. Five children’s hospitals are scheduled to be inaugurated within the next two months, while the process of supplying 1,150 dialysis machines is underway.

The minister said the government aimed to transform the health sector so that people would no longer need to travel abroad for advanced medical treatment. He added that development projects would focus on public needs and preventing the waste of government funds.