Traffic chaos outside GNDH puts patients to inconvenience

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 24

Commuters and patients face massive traffic congestion outside the entrance of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, one of the busiest and biggest hospitals in the city, due to the parking of auto-rickshaws and buses as they wait for passengers. Owners of the vehicles, waiting to pick up passengers, block the entire stretch of the road, causing a massive traffic jam.

Shopkeepers near the place reported that traffic snarls start early morning and continues till late evening, causing inconvenience to patients, their families, and medical staff. “I was taking my mother to the hospital for treatment as she suffered immense pain, but we remained stuck in a traffic jam for long,” said Karanveer Singh, a local resident.

The main entrance gate is also used by ambulances coming to the hospital. Due to the traffic jam, even patients who are on board these ambulances have to wait. “It would be better if autos and the bus stand is designated at a distance from the entrance. At present, with no designated spot for these vehicles, their drivers park them anywhere,” complains the owner of a nearby shop.

Visitors state that traffic police should take necessary measures to address the issue. They stated that bus and auto rickshaw drivers do not care if their act is causing a traffic jam. While those waiting to get inside remain stuck outside, even a vehicle going out of the hospital gets stuck in the traffic gridlock.