30 November,2015 08:25 AM IST | | Sadaguru Pandit
The signal has not been functioning since the last several months; since all the chemist shops are located opposite the hospital, patients and their relatives have to risk life and limb to buy medicine
The busy Swami Vivekanand Road has become a major problem for the patients and their relatives coming to Babasaheb Ambedkar General Hospital (better known as Shatabdi Hospital) of Kandivli, due to the defunct traffic signal right opposite the hospital.
There is heavy vehicular movement right in front of the hospital. File pic
Apparently, as the signal has not been functioning since the last several months, the relatives and patients going to buy medicine from the chemist shops located on the other side of the road have to navigate one of the busiest traffic junctions in the city.
However, several verbal intimations have allegedly been given to the hospital authorities, but neither they nor the traffic authorities have taken any efforts to solve the problem. The other major issue is the zebra crossing, which has been marked on either side of the signal, which puts the people crossing the road in a state of confusion, since the traffic light is not working.
No way out
"For a long time I didn't understand the problem since the signal was red and the vehicles kept passing by without stopping. I had to get some medicine for my son who was admitted in the hospital, and all the chemists are located on the other side of the road. The local shop owners told me that the signal only indicates a red light and it has been malfunctioning since the past several months," said Bala K (63) from Kandivli.
Apparently, there's another crossing far away from the hospital. Often, senior citizens and handicapped persons coming to the hospital face a tough time crossing the road. "We see people struggle to cross the road but there is little we can do about it.
The chemist shops are located on the other side of the road. And since Shatabdi is a secondary care medical facility, not all the medicines are available at all times and people are forced to cross the dangerous road when the traffic is busy," said the owner of a chemist shop just opposite the hospital.
The hospital has not sent any intimation to the traffic authorities. The Traffic department has not acted on its own accord to repair the signal. Speaking with mid-day, a traffic constable said that the signal doesn't make any difference as people have become used to crossing it and can take care of themselves.
On the other hand, patients and their relatives said that there could be an accident any moment and the treacherous crossing is a death trap due to passing vehicles.
