Delhi: Encroachment near emergency gate led to patients’ deaths at Lok Nayak Hospital

Senior officials at Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH), one of the largest and most renowned hospitals of the Delhi government, say that encroachment by street vendors outside the emergency gate has led to the deaths of patients.

Dr Ritu Saxena, Deputy Medical Superintendent and Head of Accident and Emergency, said, “In several instances, patients‘ lives could not be saved due to ambulances getting stuck in congestion at the hospital gate.”

“There should be no hindrance in the path of an ambulance, as every minute counts when saving the lives of critical patients. Unfortunately, this problem persists right at the hospital gate,” she added.

In addition to street vendors, large numbers of auto-rickshaws, rickshaws, and e-rickshaws are often parked at the hospital gate, blocking the road and causing significant hardships for general commuters, leading to long queues and traffic jams.

According to Dr Saxena, this issue has been raised many times, but the administration has not taken the demands and requests to clear the encroached area seriously.

“Numerous street vendors continue to stand in the way, prioritising their livelihood over patients‘ lives,” she said.

Although authorities have taken action, the vendors return after two to three hours. “These individuals are accustomed to the civic agencies’ actions against encroachment,” the doctor further noted.

Helpless ambulance drivers

Echoing Dr Saxena’s concerns, Shri Ram, 30, said, “These people are from the local area, and if any hospital staff asks them to move their shops elsewhere, they respond with a group of goons from the nearby locality.”

Ram, an ambulance driver at the hospital, laments that street vendors have encroached on the entire stretch outside the facility.

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“When transporting critical patients, our ambulances often get stuck right in front of the emergency gate. Despite repeated warnings and constant honking, these people refuse to make way,” he said.

“Moreover, private cab drivers and rickshaw pullers add to the chaos by parking their vehicles directly in front of the gate, completely blocking the ambulance’s path,” he continued.

“They don’t even respond to the siren of the emergency vehicle,” added a visibly frustrated Ram, who has been driving ambulances at the hospital for the past two and a half years.

Rohit Das, 32, another ambulance driver, shared, “We want every patient in our ambulance to recover quickly, so we make every effort to get them to the hospital on time.”

“We politely ask the encroachers, who are local residents, to clear the way, but in return, we’ve been met with threats,” Das added.

“We’re just drivers; we don’t want any trouble,” he said.

A mute medical superintendent

Another hospital staff member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “When I asked them to remove their shops and make way for the ambulance, they became angry and threatened me.”

When questioned about the parked vehicles blocking the gate, he added, “I’ve reported this issue to the hospital administration, but the Medical Superintendent, Dr Suresh Kumar, doesn’t seem to care at all.”

“I’m just a poor man; I can’t fight the local people here,” he said.

The Medical Superintendent’s office declined to comment on the matter.

Notably, the security guard stationed at the emergency gate was unarmed and focused on guiding visitors arriving from different regions.

Municipal authorities resort to rote messaging

The LNH falls under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

A senior MCD official said, “The corporation is fully committed to removing the encroachment outside hospitals and ensuring a clear passage for ambulances to assist the people of the national capital.”

“Our staff conducts anti-encroachment drives regularly to prevent inconvenience to residents. The corporation has also taken strict action against violators,” he added.

According to a Delhi High Court order, all encroachments by hawkers are subject to a fine of Rs 10,000, along with their removal.

However, this reporter did not find a single instance where such action was taken against these vendors.

Police confusion fuels encroachment

There have been no strict police actions either. The lackadaisical attitude stems from confusion among the police stations in the area.

According to police officials, while the hospital falls under the jurisdiction of the IP Estate Police Station, the road in front of the hospital is under the Daryaganj Police Station.

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“A lack of clarity between the two police stations has resulted in neither being willing to encroach on the other’s jurisdiction,” said a senior police officer.

“This overlap has allowed encroachments to continue with impunity.”