Paramedic services for Bangladesh

More than 10,000 people die in road accidents and the number injured is twice or thrice more in Bangladesh every year. In Europe, paramedics and ambulances turn up at the scene of a road accident to pick up the injured and rush them to hospital within 15 minutes of the accident. We do not have this in Bangladesh. Having been a victim of a road accident, I have faced the brunt of the problem. After the accident which occurred in Uttara, I managed to reach home by myself under extreme difficulties as I am 79 years old. Later, I was taken to Orthopaedic hospital at Sher-e-bangla Nagar. My right shoulder was already broken. Paramedic and ambulance services can benefit the people of Bangladesh. A method of self-financing can ensure training of paramedics from the police and also running few ambulances with 24 hour online call centres. This can be financed by imposing Tk 200 as tax on the four million motorists who use the road network in Bangladesh. Also, I think, the government should make third party Liability Insurance compulsory for motorists.

MF Karim,

British Pensioner.

Uttara Dhaka.

[email protected]