Politicians urged to stop diverting ambulances for funerals

The Regional Coordinator for Emergency Medical Services in the Acholi Subregion, Dr. Joyce Anena Oyet, has urged politicians and private ambulance owners to stop using ambulances to transport bodies, warning that the practice undermines emergency medical service delivery in the region.

According to Dr. Anena, most privately owned ambulances in Acholi belong to members of parliament who often lend them to their electorates to transport corpses from mortuaries to burial grounds. While such gestures are seen as acts of kindness, she said, they divert ambulances from their core purpose, that is, saving lives.

“An ambulance is meant for the living, not for carrying the dead. Anyone who wishes to use it for that purpose should rename it a funeral van,” Dr. Anena said.

Her remarks follow growing concerns from the medical team at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, who report that the misuse of ambulances has affected their ability to respond promptly to emergencies such as road accidents, obstetric complications, and other critical medical situations.

Politicians React

Gilbert Olanya, the Member of Parliament for Kilak South Constituency in Amuru District, said assistance to the bereaved is driven by compassion for families who cannot afford the cost of transporting their deceased relatives.

“In the past, people in Amuru used bicycles or motorcycles to carry bodies from health facilities. We only stepped in to help ease their burden during difficult times,” Olanya explained.

Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu City Woman MP, who owns four ambulances, said her vehicles primarily serve political and humanitarian purposes, with priority given to saving lives and responding to emergencies.

She said she sponsors ambulance services within and outside Gulu, though beneficiaries meet part of the operational costs.

Aol added that she previously owned a pickup truck for transporting corpses, but after it broke down, she resorted to using her ambulances to help bereaved families.

“Although the ambulances are sometimes used to carry dead bodies, we ensure the bodies are placed on the platform, while patients are served using a standard medical bed,” she said.

Ambulance shortage in the region

The Acholi Subregion is currently facing a shortage of ambulances. Gulu Regional Referral Hospital operates only one Type C ambulance — an advanced model equipped with an intensive care unit (ICU) for handling critical cases such as severe accidents and complicated deliveries.

The hospital also runs three Type B ambulances that provide basic emergency transport.

According to Dr. Anena, the hospital refers about two patients each month to the national referral hospital in Kampala, and between 32 and 36 patients are referred within the region.

All general hospitals and Health Centre IVs in Acholi have at least one Type B ambulance, bringing the total number of ambulances in the subregion to 17, four of which are stationed at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.

Dr. Anena appealed to political leaders and the public to support the proper use of ambulances so that they can serve their intended purpose.

“Our goal is to save lives through timely response to medical emergencies. We call upon leaders to lead by example and ensure that ambulances remain available for the sick and injured,” she said.