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Grameen Ambulance: A life-saving venture of Saturia UNO


Published : 09 Feb 2021 09:33 PM | Updated : 11 Feb 2021 03:27 PM

Not only the solvent people but also the poor people should get access to quality preventive and curative care. Illnesses can push poor people into a dilemma if out-of-pocket spending for health costs is high. Any serious patient needs to be hospitalized immediately. And the first thing comes to our mind is taking the patient to hospital with great care instantly. There is no other option but calling an ambulance is the first thing when anyone gets ill.

However, patients need to be carried to hospital before it is too late. If we think of availability of ambulance in rural areas we might be frustrated. But the ray of hope peeps for the people of Saturia Upazila as the UNO of the Upazila Ashraful Alam has launched an ambulance service ‘Grameen Ambulance’ at a lower cost for the people of the area.

Sahera Begum, an elderly woman, hailing from Bhaliati Union under Saturia Upazila in Manikganj, suddenly fell very sick. Her blood pressure went to a very risky level. Her son Abdul Latif became completely helpless as he was in such jeopardy at the midnight. He tried to manage private ambulance over phone but he could not. Later, Lafit came to know about the Grameen Ambulance.

“I called the driver of the Grameen Ambulance. Within a very shorter period of time the Grameen Ambulance reached at my doorstep and transported my seriously ill mother to Manikganj Sadar Hospital,” he said.

Latif said, “She got admitted into the hospital.  On-duty doctors said the patient was very critical and could have been died if she was not brought to the hospital in time.”

“I again called the Grameen Ambulance as my mother recovered. I again availed the service to take back my mother to my home.  I had to pay Tk 600 for each trip. I am very glad with the service as it saved my mother’s life. Moreover, the service was cheap and prompt,” he added.

Sharif Mohammad Yunus, a government employee, hailing from Dholla village under Satutria Union, also received the service of the newly launched Grameen Ambulance on January 29 this year.

He also shared his experience with the Bangladesh Post recently. He said, “My father became very sick in the last week of January this year. I called the Grameen Ambulance to take my father to the Manikganj Hospital on emergency basis.”

“I had to pay only Tk 600 for a single trip. I and my father used this service again while returning to our home after he was discharged from the hospital,” he said.

He further said, “Other ambulance services might have charged me at least Tk 1,500 for each trip. It was really very helpful for lower and middle class people like us. I must thank UNO Ashraful Alam for his wonderful initiative”

Tofazzal Hossain, a CNG-run auto rickshaw driver, hailing from Khalilabad area of Baliati Union under Saturia Upazila said, “Recently I got a passenger who was seriously sick. There is no life-saving medical equipment in my vehicle. So, I on behalf of the passengers called the Grameen Ambulance and shifted the patient into the ambulance.”

About his latest initiative, UNO Ashraful Alam said, “The ordinary ambulances that are usually available for transporting patients, cannot travel on narrow rural roads. Poor people cannot take its services as the rent is higher. So, I thought of launching the ambulance service at a lower cost. Now my dream has come true as every day local people are getting the service promptly and cost effectively.

“We had launched two ambulance services with CNG-run engine and customized body at Saturia Upazila,” he added.

This ambulance service will be available from any area of the Upazila to the Upazila Health Complex for only Tk 400. The fare was fixed at Tk 200 to go to the community clinic and family planning center of the union and Tk 600 for transporting patients to the district headquarters hospital.

Uttara Motors Ltd used his idea to build two ambulances.

Although it is a CNG-run vehicle, it has all the facilities for transporting patients like a conventional ambulance. The cost of this ambulance was given from the Upazila Management and Development Project which is financed by Japanese donor agency JICA.

UNO Ashraful Alam said, “I had shared a post regarding the Grameen Ambulance in social media, which later became apparently viral.  Many people had shared the post and drew the attention of the local administration to introduce this ambulance service at their respective areas as well.”

Recognizing the need to provide timely medical care in hospitals, particularly to elderly persons, pregnant women and infants in order to bring down the mortality rate has got enough appreciation. Such initiatives were welcomed by the rural people and should be launched in other areas as well.