01 February 2004	Sunday	09 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 31: The Sindh government has decided to ensure uninterrupted movement of ambulances in the city so that patients could get timely medical care.

The decision was taken in the wake of increasing number of complaints of traffic jams not only on main arteries of the city, but, also around hospitals, it is reliably learnt.

Most of the major hospitals, including Civil Hospital, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, NICVD, NICH, Seven Day, SIUT, Abbasi Shaheed, Holy Family, Liaquatabad Hospital, are located in the congested population area.

The provincial government directed the city government to find out the solution of traffic jams in connection with ambulance services.

The city government was also asked to consider the proposal of declaring one the main arteries around major hospitals as special lane. It was suggested that parking in the special lane around major hospitals should be banned. Moreover, additional traffic police should be deployed to ensure clear way to ambulances near hospitals, particularly during peak hours.

Sindh government authorities asked the City Nazim to convene a special meeting of the concerned departments and work out feasibility after necessary survey of the surroundings of major city hospitals.

Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi held a special meeting on Saturday to review the reports of traffic jams. A few decisions were taken at the meeting to streamline the flow of traffic.

Giving his observation at the meeting, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan said that most of the traffic congestion was being caused due to undisciplined operation of minibuses on the main arteries during peak hours.

He suggested the need to increase and extend operation of green buses, which would help to control traffic jams and facilitate the commuters.