KARACHI, April 10: Despite firm assurance on the part of Governor Ishratul Ibad, hardship facing thousands of commuters and hundreds of patients visiting three major public hospitals along the Rafiqui Shaheed Road persists unabated.

Massive traffic jam is a usual phenomenon at this one of the busiest thoroughfare severely hampering even an easy movement of ambulances, often carrying patients in a serious condition, destined for the National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases (NICVD), the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), or the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

The first two institutes are the city's state-of-the-art health care centres whereas the JPMC offers a wide range of medical facilities and caters to the needs of a significant number of patients every day.

Ironically, despite the significance of the two-way road which accommodates three major hospitals, a medical college, a school and an intermediate college, little attention is paid to see that predicament of patients and students is reduced.

The doctors, students, teachers and commuters who talked to APP appeared unanimous in their submission that the road deserved at least some sanctity in terms of 'no-noise' and 'no-atmospheric pollution' being caused by smoke emitting public vehicles which also resort to blowing pressure horns.

It may be recalled that only two months back, the governor in response to public complaints had sought a detailed report from city administration on the idea of turning the road into a one-way route in order to ease the traffic pressure in the larger interest of public in general and patients in particular.

Karachiites are yet to see any development in this regard which could also provide a great relief to people. Hundreds of buses and coaches in their routine exercise make a stopover right in front of the main entrance to the three hospitals thus hindering a smooth flow of vehicular traffic and pedestrians' easy movement.

Frequent users of the road say that heavy vehicles should not be allowed to ply on this road and that there should be proper arrangements, involving a sufficient number of traffic police personnel, to ensure an absolutely easy flow of traffic as well as implementation of a strict ban on the use of horn in the entire vicinity. -APP