MADURAI: In a move aimed at addressing the parking woes at the facility, the administration at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) on Tuesday commenced distribution of stickers to its staff members and students under 11 categories that will allow only their vehicles to be parked on campus from the first week of May. Over 2,000 parking stickers are being distributed to staff and students (see box). Further, 13 spots are being identified for two-wheeler parking and six spots for vehicles like cars.
Hospital authorities said that vehicles of patients, their attendants and relatives will henceforth not be allowed inside.
The move comes against the backdrop of complaints of hundreds of vehicles of patients’ attendants and relatives parked on campus causing congestion.
Commenting on the situation, Tamil Nadu Resident Doctors Association (TNRDA) general secretary and hospital staff member Dr M Keerthi Varman told TNIE, “Whenever I enter GRH, many bikes are found parked haphazardly. All such vehicles would be of patients’ relatives, who park without leaving space for anyone else. Some such bikes are found parked for over a week also.”
To tackle the situation, staff from the agency providing housekeeping services on contract were also deployed to regulate parking on campus for around six months, but in vain.
“Many a time, the congestion goes out of control when some cars park near the Cancer Ward. This blocks the movements of ambulances and other vehicles. Despite this, the visitors refuse to listen and go on to park their vehicles. The contract workers then used loudspeakers to regulate vehicular movement inside the premises. But even this failed following which it was decided to implement the parking sticker method.”
While a parking lot to accommodate over 2,000 bikes and 200 cars is being set up by the city corporation outside the hospital, patients’ attendants and visitors can park their vehicle along the road outside until its completion.
Meanwhile, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of GRH Dr S Saravanan said that in order to help patients, two battery-operated vehicles will be operated near the check posts at the hospital entrance. These can pick up six patients each and take them to their respective treatment wards, he added.