Drivers of 108 ambulance services are afraid to get a call to ferry patients along Poonamallee High Road (EVR Periyar Silai) from Thiruverkadu to Chennai Central.
Many traffic congestion along the stretch has turned into a nightmare, they said.
Just removing this congestion can help ferry patients to the Kilparuk Medical College and Hospital (KMC) and Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital (RGGGH), a tertiary hospital located on High Road Poonamallee, at least 30 minutes faster, they said.
Congestion at the main intersection of Thiruverkadu, Golden George Nagar, Maduravoyal, Arumbakkam and Aminji Marriage caused a delay in reaching KMC, at least 10 km away, for the residents of West Chennai.
At each of these intersections, TOI uses a stopwatch to find that an ambulance is held back with an average of 3 minutes to 6 minutes in one place, a total of 30 minutes accounting for termination time.
S Venkatatchalam, a 108 ambulance driver who regularly gave the patient’s ferry to the KKCH throughout the stretch, the word container truck was the main cause of the problem between Thiruverkadu and Madurvoyal, sometimes carrying traffic for up to 45 minutes.
“After Maduravoyal, it is a commercial vehicle which is a barrier,” he said.
The majority of calls for 108 ambulances on this stretch is to attend the case of an accident, and with Tiruvallur GH 30 km away, in a hurry to KMC, the closest, is the most intense.
Apart from teaching accident victims and emergency cases from West Chennai, the ambulance also brought patients who refer to GH Tiruvallur to KMC or RGGGH through the PoonMmallee High Road.
M Vijayashankar, emergency head at KMC, said they avoided referrals from other hospitals as much as possible during rush hour.
“The delay presentation will definitely increase emergency case complications.
People who have better traffic feelings will help free the way for an ambulance,” he said.
Ambulances tracked through GPS and emergency communication continues to be given, he added.
The Tamil Nadu Health System (TNHSP) project, which manages 108 services, in 2018 proposed to bring automatic signal permits for ambulances and pilot studies carried out along the Poonamallee High Road.
It never took off.
The TNHSP DR UMA project director said that they had provided proposals under road safety funds through TNHSP but because of some technical problems on the police signal side and the issue of funds from the World Bank, was suspended.