Char patients suffer

The lone water ambulance meant for carrying patients from char (landmass emerging from riverbed) areas of Harirampur and Dhaukhali unions in Char Bhadrasan upazila under the district is getting ruined as it has remained abandoned for the last three years.

The health department gave the water ambulance to Char Bhadrasan Upazila Health Complex in 2013 to help carrying serious patients from the two char unions to hospital, said sources of the health complex.

It was handed over to KM Obaidul Bari, the then chairman of Harirampur union parishad (UP), on May 12 in 2013.

During a recent visit, the water ambulance was found lying on a dry land at Jakarsura of Harirampur, with visible signs of damage to its engine and other accessories.

Sick people from char areas have to be carried to the bank of the Padma and then brought to the other bank by boat for taking to hospital, said Sajjada Bagum, 40, a resident of Purbo Shalapur village under Harirampur union.

"Sometimes pregnant women give birth to their baby on the boat while crossing the river. Even a few serious patients died on the boat, before getting any treatment,” she said.

Obaidul Bari, former chairman of Harirampur UP, said, “The upazila praishad handed over the water ambulance to me and I used it to carry patients for 15 days.

"As there was no permanent driver for the water ambulance I let a village policeman use it. But it was not able to cross the Padma during strong current. And so, I kept the boat on the land.”

Parvas Chowdhury, upazila nirbahi officer of Char Bhadrasan, said, “It is not possible to run the water ambulance as its engine has already got damaged and there is no driver for it."