Tragic deaths at DMCH
The emergency section
of the hospital should also have a special car ramp for ambulances so that in an emergency a car carrying a patient can take the special ramp instead of using the main gate
Deaths happen at the emergency hospitals across the world. However, the sudden and horrific end of life of four persons, including a pregnant mother, at the entrance of the emergency gate of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital is an event that distresses us, because this accident could have been averted and the lives saved.
Reportedly, an ambulance, the vehicle supposed to take the wounded and the ill to hospital, was the killer, with a reckless person behind the wheels. Some sources say, the car was being driven by a helper while others say it was the driver who lost control.
If its conclusively proved that it was the drivers assistant then the chauffeur must be arrested for giving his keys to a novice in a crowded place. We know it is common culture in Bangladesh for a driver to allow his assistant to drive in order to teach the latter the handling of a car so that he may become a driver himself, improving his earning potential.
There is nothing wrong there though lessons cannot be imparted without the driver being present. And, that too must take place on open fields or empty roads.
Due to the lack of clear facts, we do not know how an accident could have happened in front of an entry point where any vehicle has to slow down.
Was the person driving the ambulance under influence of any narcotics? Or, maybe, he was trying a stunt with the car. The actual reason as to why he was driving rash at the gate needs to be ascertained.
The emergency section of the hospital should also have a special car ramp for ambulances so that in an emergency, a car carrying a patient, can take the special ramp instead of using the main gate.
The medical college hospital gate is crowded not only by people but by too many roadside shops, stalls and makeshift hotels.
These need to be removed to the other side of the road, placed on the pavement in an orderly way. We are not asking for these to be dismantled, just taken to a spot which will not hamper movement of vehicles.
This latest tragedy underlines the larger problem of reckless driving, especially within the main city. The Shahbagh intersection plus several other points where roads converge from four sides are infamous for accidents.
One way to ensure that cars in these spots drive slow is by creating speed breakers. Truth is, rules on road will only be adhered to when we see VIPs refraining from driving on the wrong side.
