PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
A single shared entry and exit gate for vehicles at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital here is leading to repeated traffic jams inside the hospital premises.
Several patients and attendants have raised concerns, saying they often get stuck in traffic within the hospital, which delays access to treatment. They have urged the hospital administration to create separate entry and exit points for vehicles.
Attendant Juhi Sharma said she visits the District hospital frequently and has faced traffic congestion inside the campus many times. “Even ambulances get stuck due to traffic congestion inside the hospital premises. The reason is the same entry and exit point. Vehicles coming from opposite directions get stuck and it leads to traffic jams. The hospital administration must take action on this,” she said.
Patient Kartik Narang said, “Traffic congestion at the hospital is a repetitive concern. At the time of emergency, having the same entry and exit point is risky. The concerned authorities should take this seriously.”
Several other patients and attendants also spoke about the serious issue of a common entry and exit point for vehicles at the hospital premises.
A hospital staff member said he had observed similar situations where a large number of vehicles, including ambulances, get stuck. “The principal medical superintendent at the District Hospital has also been informed, but no action has been seen till now,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, PMS of the hospital Dr Manu Jain said that apart from the current gate used for both entry and exit, there is another gate on the north side of the hospital. “Earlier we tried to make use of that gate, but turning off four-wheelers and ambulances there is difficult. The current gate has enough space for one vehicle to wait for another to pass. Security guards have also been directed to manage the traffic situation at the hospital,” he said. Dr Jain appealed to visitors to give priority to ambulances on the way.
