DHARMAPURI: Residents of Dharmapuri are aggrieved by the erratic parking outside the Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as it has been disrupting bus and ambulance access.
DMCH, a key healthcare facility in the district, has over 3,500 outpatients visiting on a daily basis from various districts, including Krishnagiri, Salem, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, and Tiruvannamalai. However, due to the limited space, the visitors encroach upon the bus stop and park their vehicles in the bus bay, disrupting access to the hospital.
Speaking to TNIE, B Sugumar from Pennagaram said, “The bus stop outside the DMCH was designed so that patients and attendees could disembark from the buses without any haste. However, the bus stop itself has been encroached upon by private ambulances, private cars and even two-wheelers, hindering bus access to the bay. In most cases, the buses stop on the densely-populated roads, forcing patients disembarking from them to hurry. It is a stressful situation for patients seeking treatment. Patients’ attendants also park their vehicles in the bus bay, disrupting traffic flow.”
Another resident, P Marimuthu from Dharmapuri, said, “The DMCH junction has dense traffic throughout the day because the roads narrow here. The vehicle encroachments outside the DMCH add to the traffic woes. Even ambulances transporting patients have to wait several minutes to enter the hospital. Furthermore, the lack of enforcement from the police is also an issue.”
When TNIE reached out to police officials, they said, “The limited space at DMCH is the problem, and there is no space to park inside the hospital premises. So they use the vacant areas outside the hospital. However, there is no disruption to movement of patients or ambulances, as we station police personnel here and ensure traffic flow. We will increase vigilance in the area and take action against erratic parking.”