Dec 02, Kathmandu - Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-14 Ward Office has started a free ambulance service and free blood supply service for ward residents.

This initiative is believed to provide great relief to the economically and socially vulnerable and emergency patients. The service has been expanded so that anyone living in the ward can immediately call an ambulance for treatment at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and Bijayapur Hospital for treatment as per their need and can provide blood for treatment.

Dharan-14 Ward Office on Tuesday signed a formal agreement with Nepal Red Cross Society Sunsari Branch and Blood Transfusion Service Center Dharan to operate this service. Signing the agreement, Red Cross Sunsari President Umesh Thapa said that such a human-centric service has been provided with the aim of ensuring timely access to treatment without financial burden on the ward residents. He informed that both the services of taking patients from home to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and returning them home after treatment will be available free of cost through ambulance. The agreement states that the ward office will have to pay a fee of one lakh rupees annually to the Red Cross for this service.

Even if blood is required during treatment, the residents of the ward do not have to pay any fee. The Red Cross will provide the required blood, and the ward office will handle its management, said Ward Chairman Krishna Bhattarai. He said that the person or family who wants to avail this service will have to submit proof of residence in Dharan-14. For this, arrangements have been made to show citizenship or inform the ward office over the phone. Ward member Jharana Sunuwar said that this initiative was taken with the aim of providing support to the residents in difficult times.