BENGALURU: A much-needed measure to handle health emergencies befalling Metro commuters has finally been put in place at the Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda Metro station. On October 1, the station got an ambulance van and a bike ambulance. A top Metro official told The New Indian Express that the 1.5-lakh-plus footfall at Kempegowda Metro station made it a necessity to have an ambulance permanently there.
“We keep encountering incidents of commuters collapsing inside the station due to health issues. The reasons range from giddiness caused due to non- consumption of breakfast, fractures due to falls inside stations and even heart attacks. An ambulance within our premises will help attend to commuters instantly,” said a senior Metro official.
A security staffer recounted this incident involving a commuter that took place on September 26 at the Kempe Gowda station. “A 22-year old commuter, Deepa, travelling alone to K R Market Metro station collapsed near one of the ticketing gates at the station around 4.45 pm,” he recalled. “She was unconscious and since it looked like an emergency, we called up 108. But the ambulance did not come for nearly 30 minutes,” he said.
Another staffer, who served at Chickpet Metro station earlier, recalls an incident two months ago when an elderly woman collapsed during peak evening time. An ambulance did not reach 45 minutes later. “We sent her by an auto to Victoria hospital. We learnt later that she passed away,” he said. The ambulance inside Metro station would also cater to BMTC and KSRTC passengers but priority would be given to Metro commuters, another official said.