Ashis Chowdhury, Special Correspondent, Broadcasting News Corporation: The High Court has directed the concerned not to collect toll from ambulances carrying patients on roads, highways, bridges and flyovers across the country.
On Monday (August 12, 2024), Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Md. A High Court Division Bench comprising Bazlur Rahman gave the order. Advocate Md. Monir Uddin heard on behalf of the writ in the court. In this writ petition, it is said that the toll is being collected from the toll plaza by stopping the ambulance which is inhumane to this modern civilized society. Every second counts for a sick patient. But due to the time wasted in collecting the toll at the toll plaza, the patient dies before being taken to the hospital. The patient died before the ambulance reached the patient after getting stuck in the toll plaza. It is said in the writ that the Ministry of Health is spending thousands of crores of takas in hospitals to protect the health of citizens and save lives. Therefore charging toll from ambulances is against the objective of the Ministry of Health. People’s lives, money and health are being lost due to wrong decisions alone