Critical Patient Transport Under Harsh Conditions in Sandwip Sparks Outcry Over Inoperable Sea Ambulances
Photo Collected
An 80-year-old woman suffering from severe respiratory distress was transported across a turbulent sea from Sandwip to Chittagong on Sunday under hazardous conditions, highlighting a chronic lack of emergency medical transport infrastructure in the region.
Footage of the journey, which circulated widely on social media, shows the patient, Rawshan Ara Begum, lying in the arms of relatives aboard a speedboat while receiving oxygen. The vessel struggled against high waves and heavy rainfall throughout the trip. To shield the patient from the downpour, family members resorted to covering her with plastic sheeting, which frequently blew away in the wind.
Rawshan Ara Begum, a resident of the Chatai Bari area near Taltoli Bazar in Sandwip municipality, has suffered from chronic breathing difficulties for several years. Her son, Jahangir Kabir, stated that her condition deteriorated significantly on Saturday evening. After being taken to the Sandwip Medical Centre on Sunday morning, doctors advised an immediate transfer to a specialized hospital in Chittagong.
Jahangir reported that his mother is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Chittagong. While her condition has shown slight improvement, medical staff have characterized her status as still critical. The family departed Sandwip at approximately 10:00 a.m. and reached the destination around 2:00 p.m., facing significant delays due to adverse weather conditions that hampered standard maritime operations.
The incident has sparked widespread public concern regarding the lack of secure emergency patient transit. Jahangir noted that the family received no official assistance at the ghat, forcing them to hire a public speedboat at a fare of 300 taka per person, exposing the patient to life-threatening risks during the crossing.
The crisis is exacerbated by the total failure of dedicated emergency maritime transport. Although two sea ambulances were allocated to Sandwip, neither is operational. Local reports indicate that one unit has been stranded on land at Keorabagan near Guptachara Ghat since 2008 and has never been used for patient transport. A second sea ambulance, provided by the Department of Disaster Management in 2015, has reportedly remained idle at the Haramia 20-bed Hospital complex since its arrival.
Upazila Health Officer Manash Biswas confirmed that both vessels have been out of service for an extended period. He stated that the local health department has submitted formal requests for new sea ambulances to the relevant authorities but has yet to receive a response or resolution.
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