Top Stories
Hyderabad traffic police slams the brakes on ambulance misuse | Hyderabad News
HYDERABAD: With instances of ambulance misuse on the rise, the Hyderabad traffic police have issued fresh guidelines to regulate inappropriate practices. Many drivers have reportedly been misusing the privilege to navigate heavy traffic.
As per the new guidelines that came into force on Thursday, when carrying critically ill patients, ambulances have to inform about its route and get clearance from the traffic control room by dialing a helpline number set up for the purpose. Officials have issued the fresh guidelines after receiving reports about ambulance drivers turning on beacon lights and siren for non-emergency situations.
“City traffic police will always ensure to clear traffic to ambulances. Drivers are using the facility to evade traffic to pickup and drop medical staff. It’s a misuse of the facility extended to them during emergency situations and this is noticed to be upsetting the traffic flows in the city,” read a letter shot off to the hospital authorities.
Not just staffers, hospital managements are also using ambulances to take outpatients to diagnostic centres, to which they have a tie up with. “I had been taken twice in an ambulance with the siren on to a diagnostic centre from a hospital. Since I had already paid upwards of 10,000 for it, I had to go with them,” said Sirisha, a patient.
Commuters and patients believe this is a good move. Meanwhile, a letter sent to all hospitals from the traffic police read, “A dedicated number: 8712660600 would be functional from September 1. Any ambulance carrying ill patients can obtain traffic clearance by informing about the route. In order to identify genuine callers a nodal office with mobile number can be nominated from your end.”
As per the new guidelines that came into force on Thursday, when carrying critically ill patients, ambulances have to inform about its route and get clearance from the traffic control room by dialing a helpline number set up for the purpose. Officials have issued the fresh guidelines after receiving reports about ambulance drivers turning on beacon lights and siren for non-emergency situations.
“City traffic police will always ensure to clear traffic to ambulances. Drivers are using the facility to evade traffic to pickup and drop medical staff. It’s a misuse of the facility extended to them during emergency situations and this is noticed to be upsetting the traffic flows in the city,” read a letter shot off to the hospital authorities.
Not just staffers, hospital managements are also using ambulances to take outpatients to diagnostic centres, to which they have a tie up with. “I had been taken twice in an ambulance with the siren on to a diagnostic centre from a hospital. Since I had already paid upwards of 10,000 for it, I had to go with them,” said Sirisha, a patient.
Commuters and patients believe this is a good move. Meanwhile, a letter sent to all hospitals from the traffic police read, “A dedicated number: 8712660600 would be functional from September 1. Any ambulance carrying ill patients can obtain traffic clearance by informing about the route. In order to identify genuine callers a nodal office with mobile number can be nominated from your end.”
Source link
