Dhaka: Freeing the footpaths and main road adjacent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), controlling vehicle parking, and declaring the 400-meter area around the hospital as a permanent 'Emergency Response Zone' has been sought. The development research-based youth organization 'Youth Action for Social Change (YASC)' and the cultural organization 'Bhangi Nritya Shilpalay' submitted a memorandum to the Administrator of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), Mahfuzur Rahman Riton.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, representatives of the two organizations formally handed over the memorandum at the RCC Administrator's office at Nagar Bhaban. The memorandum was jointly signed by YASC Founder and President Shamiul Alim Shawon, and General Secretary of Bhangi Nritya Shilpalay Robin Sheikh. It states that RMCH, serving as a key medical center for approximately 20 million people in the northern region, receives over 13,000 people daily for treatment.
However, the movement of ambulances is severely hindered due to illegal occupation of footpaths and main roads by tong shops, food hotels, and uncontrolled vehicle parking. This occurs from the hospital's main gate, emergency department, outdoor gate, and from Laxmipur intersection to Ghoshpara intersection. Consequently, ambulances carrying emergency patients frequently encounter traffic jams, leading to delays of 10 to 25 minutes, which can be critical for patients' lives.
While submitting the memorandum, Shamiul Alim Shawon emphasized the persistent traffic jams affecting ambulances due to poor coordination on the road outside the hospital. He called for the City Corporation to spearhead efforts in inter-institutional coordination to address this issue. Robin Sheikh highlighted that such disorder at the entrance of the main government hospital of a modern city is unacceptable, stressing that unobstructed paths for emergency medical services are a citizens' right.
Copies of the memorandum have also been distributed to the Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and the Director of RMCH Hospital.