Govt plans locally manufactured electric ambulances to boost emergency healthcare services

The government is planning to introduce locally manufactured electric ambulances to strengthen emergency healthcare services and improve access to patient transport nationwide, particularly in rural areas.

The initiative was discussed at a meeting on the development of electric ambulances using local technology, held at the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday morning and chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

Shiplu said the government aims to bring ambulance services closer to people’s doorsteps.

“To achieve this objective, today’s meeting reviewed the proposal in detail and several decisions were taken,” he said.

The project will initially be launched as a pilot programme in a single upazila. If successful, it is expected to help meet the country’s growing demand for ambulances while reducing reliance on imported vehicles, Shiplu added.

According to the Prime Minister’s Press Wing, the government is considering a three-tier ambulance service system. Under the proposed model, separate types of ambulances would be developed to transport patients from villages to upazilas, from upazilas to district headquarters, and from districts to the capital.

Experts and officials at the meeting said the initiative could lower dependence on imported ambulances and make modern emergency transport services more affordable and accessible. They also noted that the project would contribute to strengthening the country’s emergency healthcare infrastructure.

The Press Wing said experts informed the meeting that the locally produced ambulances would be equipped with essential medical devices, oxygen support systems and other emergency healthcare facilities. The vehicles would also be designed to suit Bangladesh’s geographical conditions and road network.

The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain Bakul, State Minister MA Muhit, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health SM Ziauddin Haider, Health Services Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar, and experts from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), including Professors Muhammad Ehsan, Ziaur Rahman, Abdul Salam Akhand and Jahangir Alam, along with other senior officials.