Many ambulances stuck in traffic

The traffic jam was a testing time for families of patients who were being transported in ambulances. Those stuck in roads included women in labour and a patient with a urinary tract infection.

Santosh H.L., a paramedic, said that a lady in labour was stuck for nearly two hours on Thursday evening. “The lady was in a lot of pain. But there was not much we could do as the entire road was blocked and there was no way the vehicles could make way for us,” he said.

Many ambulance drivers said that patients from adjoining districts who wanted to come to the city’s government hospitals for treatment chose to get admitted in private hospitals on the outskirts after hearing about the traffic jam.

Despite these complaints, S.S. Perveez, senior manager of GVK EMRI claimed that only one of their ambulances was stuck near Mehkri Circle after dropping a patient in Victoria Hospital. He said that all ambulances were directed to use parallel roads to beat the jam.

Ambulance rescues patient stuck in jam

The parent of an four-month-old child suffering from high fever used his presence of mind to get out of the jam.

Lokesh H.G., employee of a private company based in Gauribidanur, left home early in the morning to reach ESI Hospital in Rajajinagar. He was stuck in the traffic jam on the airport road for about two hours in a bus. “Our child had high fever and was crying. We called for an ambulance, got off the bus and waited for the ambulance,” he said. Other motorists made way for the ambulance. About 30 minutes later, the ambulance reached the hospital.