CHANDPUR, Mar 22: In the absence of a driver, the lone ambulance equipped with modern facilities of Hajiganj Uapzila Health Complex has been lying idle for the last 30 months causing immense sufferings to the critical and dying patients.
The poor patients have to suffer much for this. In case of emergency, they have to depend on private ambulance service by paying exorbitant fare.
Hajiganj Health Complex is located beside Chandpur-Cumilla Regional Highway, in the heart of Hajiganj. Because of easy road connectivity with neighbouring Ramganj and Roypur Upazilas, many patients from far flung places rush to this 50- bed Hospital for better treatment. But the ambulance without driver disappoints all.
Govt allotted this ambulance for this hospital on October 22, 2018 following the DO letter from MP Major (Rtd) Rafiqul Islam and he himself formally handed over it on October 23, 2018 to the hospital authority. But it is regrettable that since then, the ambulance with modern facilities inside it has been lying idle on the hospital premises. It has come to no use to the serious patients. So, the people have to suffer immensely.
Habib, Bazlu, Mantu and a few others of Shomespur and Bolakhal areas in Hajiganj Upazila have alleged regarding this matter saying that they had to hire private ambulance for rushing their serious patients to Cumilla and Dhaka.
Contacted, the Civil Surgeon Dr M Shakhawat Hossain has told this correspondent that actually there was a driver. But the driver went on retirement and so, the post of driver has been lying vacant at this hospital. We have written to the higher authorities concerned time and again to post a driver here but to no effect.
He added that 'This is a modern ambulance but for want of driver, it's machines are also getting rust gradually due to lying idle'. Contacted, Upazila Health & Family Planning officer Dr Shoyeb Ahmed Chisty has said, 'There are 100 posts of drivers lying vacant in Upazila Health Complexes all over the country and Hajiganj Health Complex is also among them. Still we are trying to get a driver here'.
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