Metro work slows down AIIMS, Safdarjung-bound ambulances

Along with the commuters, patients and fire tenders too face problems due to metro construction at Ring Road especially at South-Extension. The heavy traffic congestions slow down the movement of ambulances and patients to national Capital’s top hospitals – AIIMS and Safdarjung, putting the life of people at risk.

Apart from the underground metro construction, phase-III, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has also started construction of an underground tunnel that is basically a dedicated corridor to reach the Trauma Center at Safdarjung from AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences). In general, the travel time between the two buildings is 30 minutes but with the help of this dedicated corridor it will be reduces to three minutes. The project is likely to be finished in mid-2015.

However, at present patients on their way to either AIIMS, Trauma Centre or Safdarjung hospital on the Ring Road, are major victims of the Delhi metro construction at South-Extension. “I have one accident patient inside my ambulance but the traffic snarl is not allowing me to reach the hospital on time. These days I feel really bad for the patients as I am unable to help them. It is my duty to rush the patients to the hospital on time because for them each second counts,” AIIMS ambulance driver Rakesh told Millennium Post.

Another driver said: “The situation turns becomes worse during peak hours with incessant honking of vehicles stuck in the traffic snarl creating noise in the environment. Also, the vehicles at times bump into each other in their effort to get out of the chaos. But none of the vehicle gives space to the ambulance. Hopefully the metro construction will end in mid-2016 after that it would be a great relief for the patients and the drivers too.”

Along with ambulance, fire tenders and PCR vans also face similar situation when they have to pass from the metro construction site at south-extension. The traffic snarls start from Moolchand to AIIMS while going towards Dhaula Kuan and congestion could be seen from AIIMS flyover to Kotla Mubarakpur traffic signal while going towards Moolchand.