In December last year, Delhi Traffic Police created a green corridor to move the Unnao rape victim to AIIMS from Indira Gandhi International Airport. As a result, a distance of around 14 km could be covered in just 18 minutes.
Last week, Twin City Police helped doctors of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack and Apollo Hospitals for shifting of cadaver organ by providing them green channel.
Why could it not be done for Pratik, the five-year-old boy who died in an ambulance caught in traffic during transit from one hospital to another in the City on Tuesday?
The issue has sparked off a debate over role of commuters, traffic personnel on duty and protocol followed by hospitals. While demand for a dedicated ambulance corridor has gathered steam, awareness about protocol to be followed during such emergency situation has emerged as a key issue.
Such emergency situations warrant requisition from the hospital or the family members could call 100 seeking such assistance. Did Capital Hospital authorities seek a green passage in case of Pratik? Apparently, no. And the family members had no clue about it. Police sources say, everyday there is movement of about 100 ambulances in the city and it is not feasible to know which patient is being transferred in a critical condition.
“If a person is being rushed to a hospital in a critical state, either the hospital authorities or family members can inform police requesting a green corridor to the ambulance. In some cases, we can provide an escort too,” a police officer said.
Was emergency protocol followed?
Retired police officer Suryamani Tripathy said hospitals have already been instructed to inform traffic police whenever they refer a critical patient. “It is unfortunate that the hospital did not follow the basic guidelines. Had they informed the police, the latter could have alerted traffic personnel on duty on Jayadev Vihar-Nandankanan route for smooth movement of the ambulance,” he observed. “Our staff are briefed to assist ambulances to the maximum possible extent.
Traffic and police personnel do it on their own in many cases. It is humanity. We will continue to provide green passage for ambulance whenever informed,” Police Commissioner Sudhansu Sarangi tweeted and urged commuters to be kind, respect life and make way for ambulance. Meanwhile, as per the direction of Health and Family Welfare department, Capital Hospital conducted a probe to find out the cause of Pratik’s death who was admitted after complaining of cough and vomiting.
“The child was suffering from convulsion and lactic acidosis. His sugar level was also high. Though cause of the death cannot be ascertained as no post-mortem has been carried out, we suspect the child died of aspiration,” said a member of the inquiry team.Director Dr Ashok Kumar Pattnaik has submitted the probe report to Government.