Ludhiana: Days after ambulance drivers staged a protest at the civil hospital over parking problems, the hospital administration has introduced a set of new parking rules and demarcated designated parking zones across the premises. The move follows the Jan 29 incident, when chaos erupted outside the emergency ward after employees of the 108 ambulance service protested against allegedly illegal parking, which, they said, frequently blocked ambulance movement.Sharing details of the new arrangements, civil hospital SMO Dr Akhil Sareen said the hospital had enforced fresh parking rules and regulations, under which earmarked parking spaces have been created for staff, ambulances, police vehicles, two-wheelers, patients and their attendants. He added that four security guards had been deployed to ensure streamlined implementation of the new system and to monitor compliance.According to the SMO, new rules prioritise an obstruction-free pathway for ambulances, with clear entry and exit routes marked. A no-parking zone has also been created from the main entrance leading up to the emergency area to prevent congestion. Officials said that the health department had installed around 50 to 60 flex boards across the hospital premises to guide visitors about the parking rules. A separate passage has also been designated for pedestrians, wheelchairs and stretchers to ensure smoother patient movement.The SMO said haphazard parking would not be allowed under any circumstances and added that the new system was aimed at ensuring regulated and disciplined parking throughout the premises.Health department sources said concerns of ambulance drivers were genuine, as congestion near the emergency gate often caused ambulances to get stuck, delaying transfer of patients onto stretchers. They pointed out that private vehicles and police cars were routinely parked outside the emergency entrance, making it difficult for ambulances to enter the hospital quickly.Meanwhile, with the enforcement of the new parking rules, hospital officials said there had already been noticeable improvement. Most vehicles were seen parked in designated zones, and entry routes remained clearer as compared to earlier, indicating early positive results of the changes.
