Editorial, News & commercial office:
55/A, H M Siddique Mansion (Level-7), Purana Paltan, Motijhel C/A, Dhaka-1000. Phone: +8802226640056,
e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Roads and Highways Department (RHD) Chief Engineer Md. Moniruzzaman.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is set to deploy 60 state-of-the-art Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances across key national highway corridors to provide immediate trauma care and capitalize on the critical post-accident golden hour, Chief Engineer Md. Moniruzzaman announced.
In an exclusive interview with the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) at the Sarak Bhaban headquarters in Tejgaon, the chief engineer revealed that the initiative will commence as a targeted pilot scheme across selected busy transport corridors before undergoing national expansion.
Under the operational framework, ambulances will be strategically positioned at roughly 10-kilometer intervals along designated pilot routes, including the Chandra-Elenga-Rangpur corridor, the Hatikumrul-Natore-Rajshahi (Katakhali) highway, and the Dhaka-Mymensingh expressway. This positioning ensures emergency vehicles can reach accident scenes within minutes rather than responding from distant bases.
The service will be coordinated via a centralized, 24/7 call center. Upon receiving emergency calls via a dedicated hotline, operators will pinpoint the caller's location, assess casualty figures, and instantly dispatch the nearest standby ambulance while notifying local emergency networks.
Each ambulance will operate with three certified health technologists on rotating eight-hour shifts alongside dedicated drivers to ensure around-the-clock readiness. The vehicles will be equipped with essential trauma stabilization apparatus, including portable oxygen cylinders and standard emergency medical gear, with all emergency transit and on-site care provided entirely free of cost to victims.
To bridge the critical minutes before an ambulance arrives, RHD is instituting a structured bystander care framework. Under this arrangement, two voluntary community responders every 200 to 300 meters along pilot corridors will receive formal first-aid training, emergency kits, and recognizable uniform attire to stabilize crash victims safely. Lessons derived from the initial 60-unit pilot will guide the phased nationwide rollout across all primary highway networks.
