It is common knowledge that VIP convoys on the road are always given top priority, which means that no vehicle gets the clearance to move until the convoy has passed, and this sadly includes ambulances with patients as well.
However, things in Karnataka are changing, thanks to the intervention of Dr G Parameshwara, the Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of the state.
Henceforth, ambulances across Karnataka, especially those that are rushing to hospitals carrying patients who are in a critical state, will not have to wait until a VIP convoy passes.
“As per the orders passed from the state police chief Neelamani N Raju, the traffic police in the city and across the state will make way for the ambulances to pass through to get the patients to hospitals in time, even if there is VIP movement on the route,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar told IANS.
The move was instated after Parameshwara had written to the police chief about the issue of ambulances being held up as a result of passing VIP convoys and directed the latter to make sure that the state’s traffic police gives preference to ambulances irrespective of any VIP convoy movement.
“I have observed that ambulances are sometimes stopped to make way for my convoy. Nothing is more important than rescuing a person in need of immediate medical help. Going forward, no ambulances will be stopped during movement of VIP convoys,” Parameshwara said in a tweet.
I have observed that ambulances are sometimes stopped to make way for my convoy. Nothing is more important than rescuing a person in need of immediate medical help. Going forward, no ambulances will be stopped during movement of VIP convoys. pic.twitter.com/S70V2WkC0g
Advertisement— Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) July 8, 2018
It has been reported that last month, an ambulance was made to wait for 15 minutes in Bengaluru and the cause of delay had been the convoy movement of the Deputy CM.
Sometimes if an ambulance arrives on time, even a minor delay due to vehicular traffic can end up costing a life. Keeping that in mind, this is a welcome move by the Karnataka government.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
