Vikash Sharma

Bhubaneswar: To streamline the traffic in Bhubaneswar, a new road will be thrown open for public from Xavier Square soon, informed Police Commissioner Sudhanshu Sarangi on Saturday. According to Sarangi, the new road will connect Xavier with Patia and is likely to be opened for public by February 17 or 18.

The entire stretch of road from Jaydev Vihar to Nandankanan is one of the busiest roads in the city. The traffic capacity has been increased by four times owing to massive development and a new connecting link between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar with the recent opening of a new bridge.

Terming the recent death of a minor boy after an ambulance allegedly got stuck in traffic for long in Bhubaneswar as unfortunate, Sarangi said, “It was an unfortunate incident and there is no need to debate on what circumstances led to it as it is a sensitive issue. We have not given any statement so far and we can understand the pain of the family.”

Sarangi further said, "Only the treating doctors can say what had happened to the boy and what his health condition was. But from the recent debate on the incident, we can say that massive awareness needs to be created among people."

“An ambulance usually takes 14 hours from Koraput to Cuttack and three hours for an emergency vehicle to reach Cuttack from Berhampur. We need to first analyse the health condition of the patient with prior consultation with experts and doctors as there are three types of ambulances including the ones with basic and advanced life support. There is no link between patient’s transfer with traffic and we do not know how it got linked in Bhubaneswar incident,” Sarangi clarified.

As a lot of major hospitals are located in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, hundreds of vehicles from different parts of the State are engaged in transportation of patients. Usually, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is followed where a traffic personnel in a particular junction shares information to the personnel in the next junction so that road is cleared in advance.

“Usually there is tendency to shift patients quickly to hospitals. But emphasis should be given on transferring the critically ill patients in the right type of ambulance and with the suggestion of doctors,” the Police Commissioner said.

On ‘Green Corridor’ for ambulances, the Police Commissioner said, “Green Corridor is not required for all medical situations as ambulances with ventilator supports are termed as ICU on wheels. In case of the recent cadaver transplant, we had created a green corridor for transporting the organs which was same as per the SOP followed elsewhere. When doctors feel they make requests for green corridor and special provisions are made as well.”

Sarangi further urged motorists to give way once they hear siren of an ambulance. “People should either move right or left or stop for a while to allow the ambulance overtake,” he added.

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