BR to introduce ambulance service with Square Hospital

Staff Reporter

After roads and airways, this time Bangladesh Railway ( BR) has taken an initiative to add ambulance servicrs and it will initially introduce this ambulance in a meter gauge coach.

There will be specialist doctors, state-of-the-art medical facilities as well as ICU facilities. Square Hospital is implementing this venture.

Railway officials said, railway provides ambulance services in other countries of the world. BR has taken such an initiative this time. There are plans to launch more rail ambulances if it is successfully implemented.

According to Bangladesh Railway sources, the modification process is underway by initially appointing a coach with an airbrake at the Railway Factory at Pahartali in Chittagong.

According to the plan, the design proposed by Square Hospital will have three ICUs, Emergency Treatment Unit, concerned equipment unit, doctors’ chambers and self-contained system in the railway ambulance. This is the first time that a dying patient will get all the benefits of an ICU ambulance in this ambulance service which has been added to the Bangladesh Railway fleet for the first time.

In this regard, Additional Director General (RS) of Bangladesh Railway Manjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, who is in charge of the railway ambulance initiative, told this correspondent that many countries in the world have this system. Neighboring India has medical trains, as well as operating theaters. This time Bangladesh Railway has taken such an initiative.

“Initially, we have taken the initiative to make the hospital cum ambulance in a coach of meter gauge,” he said. If it is successful then we will do medical coaching.

Monjur-Ul- Alam who made this idea added, “It is like an air ambulance, the rail ambulance will serve the patient in the same way as the patient is transported for quick treatment after getting sick.” Like the air ambulance, we can also reach the destination by non-stop train. The coach will have a bed, ICU, doctor. Anyone can rent a railway ambulance. ‘

He further said, we are going to do it in Chittagong at the initial stage. Square has already started work.

According to railway sources, design of special type of ambulance and coach modification work is being done by a joint venture of Square Hospital and Bangladesh Railway. Square Hospital has started working with coaches with airbrake at the railway factory at Pahartali in Chittagong. Concerned officials said that the BR will soon sign an agreement with Square to implement this initiative.

In this context, Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said, there are such facilities in air, road and even waterways. Not only railways but now we are adding this system.

Referring to the diversification of railway services, the ministet said, “The way a dying patient is treated by road or air ambulance. Railways will serve that way. Initially it will be done experimentally in a coach and there are plans to do it in Chittagong. ‘

Railways were added to the communication system in this region in 182.

On 15 November 182, the region was connected by rail by laying a 53.11 km railway line from Darshana in Chuadanga to Jagati in Kushtia.

At present there are 2,955.53 kilometers of broad gauge and meter gauge railways.