This guide describes ambulances in general. What the ambulance for your trip carries, and who travels with the patient, is confirmed by our dispatcher before you book.
Ask the baby’s doctor to confirm that the receiving NICU has a bed and has accepted the baby. Then call the ambulance with both hospital names. Booking the ambulance before the bed is confirmed is the most common cause of delay.
We run NICU ambulance transfers in Dhaka. This page is the order of events as families usually meet them, so you know what to do and what to ask.
The steps, in order
- The doctor says the baby can be moved. Only the treating doctor decides this.
- The receiving NICU confirms a bed. Ask for the name of the accepting doctor and a phone number. We cannot arrange a bed. Only a hospital can.
- Collect the papers. Ask for the referral or transfer note and the baby’s treatment summary. Keep them in one folder.
- Ask what the baby needs on the journey. For example warmth, oxygen or monitoring. Tell the dispatcher exactly what the doctor said.
- Call or WhatsApp the ambulance. Give the details listed below.
- Agree the fare and who travels before the vehicle leaves.
What to tell the dispatcher
- The hospital the baby is in now, with the ward and floor
- The receiving hospital and its NICU
- What the doctor advised for the journey
- When the baby will be ready to leave
- A parent’s phone number that stays on
With these five details the dispatcher can pick the vehicle and give you an arrival time on the same call. Dhaka traffic changes arrival time, so we give you the time when you call, not before.
Who to call first
Call the hospital NICU staff first. They know the baby’s condition and can speak to the receiving doctor. Many hospitals have their own transfer arrangements, so ask whether they will arrange the ambulance. If they do not, or if you prefer to arrange it yourself, call us.
If the baby is in danger right now, call 999 or go to the nearest hospital. Do not wait for a transfer.
The fare
The fare depends on the vehicle, the distance and the waiting time. We tell you the fare before we dispatch. It is worth asking this of any provider before you agree. See how we work out the fare on the NICU page.
Questions to ask any provider
- Who travels with the baby, and what is their training?
- Is there a warming incubator, if the doctor wants one?
- Is there oxygen and monitoring suited to newborns?
- Can a parent ride along?
- Is the full fare, with waiting, told before you agree?
More on what to look for in the ambulance itself.
From a district hospital to Dhaka
A doctor in a district hospital may say the baby needs a NICU in Dhaka, sometimes late at night. Give us the district, the hospital and the receiving NICU first. The dispatcher plans the whole route before you agree. Fares and routes are on the inter-district ambulance page.
Ready to book
Call 01919-339689 any time. A dispatcher answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
