As there is no initiative to remove private ambulances from beside the main entrance of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), traffic congestion has become a regular feature there, causing serious troubles for commuters and patients.

Besides, ambulance drivers and their brokers often move around in the hospital's  emergency department area in search of trips, said hospital sources.

There are allegations that ambulance drivers enjoy the illegal parking facility with blessings from a section of hospital staff and policemen.

Due to the poor ambulance services of MMCH, the number of private ambulances has increased in recent years. The 1000-bed MMCH fails to provide ambulance services for patients, even for the critical ones who are referred to Dhaka, sources said.

Of the two ambulances now operating, one regularly carries meals three times a day to Surya Kanta Hospital, a diarrhoea ward of MMCH, while the other one is often 'reserved' for doctors and staff of the hospital, sources said.

On average, there are 2,400 to 2,500 patients at MMCH, of whom seven or eight critical patients are referred to specialised hospitals in Dhaka every day, giving more opportunities for private ambulances to get trips, added the sources.

Talking to this correspondent, Syed Mahbubur Rahman, traffic inspector of Mymensingh said, considering the convenience of critical patients who are referred to Dhaka, private ambulances are allowed to park beside the hospital gate in a single line. As there is no open space in the area, the decision was taken after talking with the Mymensingh superintendent of police, the traffic inspector said. He also said such parking was illegal.

Dr Motiur Rahman Bhuiyan, secretary of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Mymensingh unit, also demanded immediate removal of private ambulances from the area. MMCH Director Brig Gen Nasir Uddin Ahamed said illegal parking  has stopped.