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Two sea ambulances introduced to ensure emergency medical transport for critically ill patients in the island upazilas of Maheshkhali and Kutubdia are now lying idle due to a lack of operational funding and maintenance.
Funded by the World Bank, the vessels have effectively become non-functional soon after their launch, forcing residents to once again depend on unsafe wooden trawlers and small boats.
Local residents say the situation is particularly dire at night, when critically ill patients and pregnant women face severe difficulties reaching Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital. During the monsoon, rough seas and limited transport options further heighten the risk to life.
According to the Cox’s Bazar Civil Surgeon’s Office, the Maheshkhali ambulance was provided under the World Bank-funded Local Government Support Project (LGSP), while the Kutubdia unit was supplied through Research Training and Management International (RTMI), a partner organisation.
Both were procured through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and later handed over to the upazila (sub-district) health complexes.
Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammad Saber said operational costs—including fuel, drivers, and support staff—were covered under the project, which ended in June 2024. Since then, the ambulances have remained out of service.
The Maheshkhali sea ambulance, delivered in May 2023, transported 85 patients that year and 179 in 2024 across the 8-kilometre water route to Cox’s Bazar.
Doctors say 10 to 12 patients still need referral daily, including critical and emergency obstetric cases, often at night.
A recent visit found the Maheshkhali ambulance abandoned near a jetty—floating at high tide and stuck in mud at low tide—with no signs of maintenance.
Health officials estimate each round trip costs around Tk 8,000–9,000 in fuel, making regular operation difficult without sustained funding. Efforts to include the service under a new World Bank-supported project have yet to receive approval.
In Kutubdia, the situation is even worse. The ambulance remained unused for nearly two years before sinking at Boroghop jetty in May 2026. Locals say it never met expectations and is now completely unusable.
With a population of nearly 200,000 across six unions, Kutubdia lacks advanced medical facilities. Patients must travel by sea to Chattogram or Cox’s Bazar—often at significant risk.
Officials say reviving the services will require a new project or dedicated funding. Multiple requests have already been sent to higher authorities, and further initiatives are underway to explore possible solutions.
For now, island residents remain at the mercy of nature, with lifesaving transport once again out of reach.