Illegal Parking in Mymensingh: A lingering menace
Illegal parking of vehicles on both sides of an important road on Mymensingh Medical College Hospital premises is obstructing entrance to the hospital.
The vehicles, mainly cars, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and microbuses of hospital staffers and different pharmaceutical companies, occupy this busy road for several hours during office time, said hospital sources.
This practice has been going on for years, they added.
The road leads to the hospital store and Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS). On the suggestion of doctors, hundreds of patients from different areas of Mymensingh visit INMAS for better test results at a comparatively less cost, said the sources.
"This the only institute in Mymensingh and so the patients from the city, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Tangail, Netrakona and Kishoreganj are referred here for quality tests and reports," said Dr Motiur Rahman Bhuiyan, president of Bangladesh Medical Association, Mymensingh unit.
Tests, including, blood and hormone test, ultra-sonogram, and ECG are conducted at the institute. If the patients' attendants can't move easily, it's difficult for them to get the tests done in due time, he added.
"We oftenhave to struggle to take patients to the institute on time," said Sultan Ahmed, an attendant from Jamalpur's Madarganj upazila.
Due to illegal parking in front of the hospital and its adjoining areas, movement of people is being obstructed for years, but there is no initiative to curb this menace, said Shakil Ahemd, a local medicine trader.
Nurul Amin Kalam, secretary of Mymensingh Nagorik Andolon, said they have been continuing their movement on different issues including illegal parking and traffic jam. "Sometimes hospital authorities initiate drives against illegal parking in the adjacent areas... but things go back to business as usual again," he added.
Syed Mabubur Rahman, traffic inspector in Mymensingh, said they conduct drives regularly in this regard but due to lack of parking facilities in the city, the problem persists.
Dr Jakiul Islam, deputy director of MMCH, said, "We always urge the traffic officials to make sure that no vehicles are parked here illegally. We are trying to initiate a drive in this regard."
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