The police in Dhaka city are set to use ambulances belonging to different public medical establishments for carrying out patrols and maintaining law and order during the 10th parliamentary polls on January 5.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued a letter of request to different medical colleges, specialized and other public hospitals for sending a total of 28 ambulances to 28 police stations of Dhaka.
The ambulances’ doctors, nurses, staffs and the primary instrument for treatment were also told to be kept ready for assisting the police.
Dr Md Shah Newaz, director (administration) of the DGHS, issued the letter on January 1, terming the issue as a “very emergency matter” in the letter.
Seeking anonymity, several senior officials of public hospitals raised questions about the justification of an emergency vehicle like ambulance being used to control law and order. They also claimed that health service of different medical colleges and specialised hospitals would be hampered, as the emergency ambulance service would not be available.
Sources said the requisitioned ambulances included three from Dhaka Medical College Hospital, two from Chest Disease Hospital, one from Civil Surgeon’s Office, one from Public Employees Hospital, six from National Cardiovascular Institute, one from National Mental Institute, two from Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, one from National Kidney Disease Hospital, three from Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, two from National Eye Institute and Hospital, two from National Cancer Research Institute and Hospital, two from National Institute of Orthopedic and Rehabilitation, one from ENT hospital and one from Bangladesh Secretariat Clinic.
It has been learnt that the ambulances will be sent at the following police stations: Demra, Jatrabari, Shyampur, Sutrapur, Wari, Kadamtali, Gendaria, Kotowali, Bangshal, Chalk Bazar Model, Lalbagh, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Mirpur Model, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kafrul, Rupnagar, Bhashantek, Gulshan, Cantonment, Khilkhet, Bhatara, Banani, Dokkhinkhan, Uttarkhan, Turag, Uttor-Purbo, Uttor-Poschim and Airport police station.
Seeking anonymity, a DMCH official said the hospital has been told to send away all its three ambulances, which are used to carry non-resident doctors, nurses and other officials for emergency calls.
Services would be hampered by the absence of all ambulances, the official said, adding that alternative initiatives would be made to continue the services.
The National Mental Institute was asked to send one ambulance, although it did not own any, an official of the institute said.
The DGHS officials however later told the institute that it did not need to send any ambulance as the vehicle would now be arranged from other sources.
Despite requests made to DGHS officials, several senior hospital officials have reportedly been told that they were bound to send the ambulances as it would be used for national interest.
When contacted, Dr Shah Newaz said the divisional commissioner of Dhaka recently wrote a letter to the DGHS for arranging the ambulances.
The DGHS director however denied claims that hospital services would be hampered, saying the authorities would take alternative steps to ensure that services were not disrupted.