DIPANKAR ROY, Khulna

Critically ill patients at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) are facing delays in emergency transfers, with patients and staff alleging that private ambulance operators dominate the premises, limiting access to government services and charging higher fares.

Hospital insiders and patients’ relatives said a group of private operators effectively controls patient transport, often steering families towards their vehicles amid a shortage of functional government ambulances.

Last week, relatives of Hanif Morol from Gopalganj said they could not arrange a government ambulance to transfer him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

“No government ambulance was available, and we had to rely on a private operator, paying heavily,” said Noman Biswas, a relative.

According to the Khulna District Civil Surgeon’s office, only 11 of 21 government ambulances are currently operational across the district. KMCH has four ambulances, one of which is out of service, despite handling around 1,500 inpatients daily against a capacity of 500 beds.

Patients allege they are often compelled to use private ambulances at higher rates. Government ambulances charge around Tk 300 within Khulna city, while private operators demand Tk 800 to Tk 1,200. Trips to Dhaka cost about Tk 8,500 in government vehicles, compared with Tk 9,000 to Tk 11,000 privately, often with additional charges.

Drivers and staffers allege that private operators discourage the use of government ambulances and obstruct outside vehicles from entering hospital grounds.

During visits between 8:00am and 12:30pm, and again from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, this correspondent found private ambulances crowding the hospital entrance and surrounding government vehicles, making access difficult.

Some drivers from outside districts alleged they were turned away upon arrival, limiting competition.

Around 60-70 private ambulances were seen in the morning and 45-50 in the afternoon, with a network of drivers and intermediaries present.

Government ambulance drivers also alleged intimidation.

“After the director and assistant director leave at 2:00pm, their dominance grows. They force us to park in the garage and position their own vehicles in front,” said one driver, requesting anonymity.

Hayat Ali, KMCH ambulance in-charge, said, “All our vehicles are functional. However, it has become very difficult for patients to access government ambulances due to pressure from private operators. Notices about low-fare government services have been torn down.”

At the hospital entrance, private operators were seen distributing visiting cards and offering fare negotiations, sometimes making claims that government ambulances do not operate on long-distance routes.

Some drivers, however, denied the existence of a single syndicate, saying vehicles operate independently.

“Drivers receive a share of the fare, and many patients prefer private ambulances as they are more readily available,” said Rob Hawlader, a driver.

Observers say the situation reflects weak oversight.

Gouranga Nandy, vice-president of the Committees of Concerned Citizens, Khulna, said stronger enforcement and hospital management are needed to protect patients from alleged irregularities.

KMCH Deputy Director Md Aktaruzzaman said the authorities have repeatedly raised the issue with law enforcement and regulatory bodies. “We are extremely frustrated. We have held meetings and written to the relevant authorities, but there has been no effective outcome,” he said.