KARACHI: Illegal parking of ambulances outside three major hospitals of Karachi including Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) and National Institute of Child Health (NICH), is causing grave nuisance for patients as well as medical staff.

Some private rescue organisations have established ambulance counters outside the major health facilities with support of traffic police. The encroachments have caused constant road blockages during rush hour and it has also become difficult for ambulance drivers to shift injured patients to these hospitals.

The rickshaw and taxi drivers have also set up their stands outside the hospitals with nexus of traffic police officials. The visitors and medical staff have been facing problems due to constant road blockages and encroachments outside the hospitals.

Some encroachers have also established their stalls in front of NICH’s main entrance, which has become a serious nuisance for visiting patients.

Officials of the hospitals concerned were unavailable for comment.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2020