Save lives

Do you know that many victims of civilian accidents die because they couldn’t reach a medical facility on time? The fight between life and death is actually a matter of minutes. The victim often loses life because a single vehicle has blocked the road. The first hour after the accident is known as the ‘golden hour’ in which the seriously injured is being taken to hospital. This is the hour in which ambulances are blasting their sirens with full volume, hoping to find some way to get the patient to the hospital.

It is hard to understand that the VIP protocols in Pakistan always get away with their sirens but ambulances struggle to make their way, although it should be other way round. We need to think as an individual that there is something seriously wrong with us. Not to mention all those so-called smart drivers who stick to the tale of the ambulance to get a clear way. Unfortunately, there are no legal provisions or administrative arrangements in Pakistan that would make it compulsory for drivers to get out of the way of an ambulance. New laws are needed that could help rectify the people’s behaviour. These new laws are expected to make it compulsory for vehicles to make room for ambulances. For this, cooperation of the police, city authorities, and ambulance services is necessary.

Taj Nabi Khan

Islamabad