Ambulance strike at Dhaka Medical forces families to transport deadbodies in vans, pickups

Patients and families at Dhaka Medical College Hospital are facing severe difficulties as private ambulance operators continued their strike for a second day, demanding designated parking space.

With ambulances unavailable on Wednesday, some families resorted to vans, pickup trucks and autorickshaws to transport deceased relatives, while critically ill patients were left waiting for transfers to other hospitals.

Mohammad Hridoy, whose mother died at 7am, said he could not find a vehicle to take her body home even after noon.

Rezaul, whose sister was seriously injured in a road accident, said doctors had advised transferring her to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation.

“I called 999 and spoke directly to the drivers. They said the vehicles would not operate,” he said, adding that he had been unable to arrange transport by 2pm.

Other families reported similar difficulties, including those needing ambulances equipped with oxygen cylinders for critically ill patients.

Badal Matbar, general secretary of the Bangladesh Private Ambulance Owners Welfare Cooperative Association, said 120 to 130 ambulances usually served the hospital but lacked designated parking.

“We are ready to pay the government revenue, but we must be given designated parking,” he said, adding that police cases and vehicle impoundments had created problems for operators.

The association's Chief Advisor Golam Mostafa Fuad said the strike would continue until their demands were met.

However, Dhaka Medical College Hospital Director Brig Gen AKM Farhad said private ambulances could not be parked inside the hospital under government rules.

He said the hospital had taken seven days to review the situation, with Shahbagh Police assigned to oversee the next steps.

The hospital also hoped to add more government ambulances to improve patient transport, he said.