Government considering permanent 'green corridor' in Mumbai: Deepak Sawant

MUMBAI: Maharashtra government is considering marking a permanent 'green corridor' in Mumbai for swift transportation of critical patients to the hospitals without any hurdles.

Yesterday, the city police created such a corridor between the airport and a private hospital for ferrying of a harvested heart brought from Pune for transplantation.

"There should be a permanent green corridor in Mumbai whereby the critical patients, who are in need of immediate treatment, can reach hospitals without the time getting wasted in traffic snarls. If there can be green corridors for VVIP movement, there can certainly be one for critical patients," state health minister Deepak Sawant said.

Besides, cards could be issued depending on how critical the patient is, to be pasted on the ambulances, he said.

"For instance, if the patient is critically ill and needs treatment immediately, we can allot a red card which will be put on the ambulance. This ambulance will be able to bypass all traffic and reach the destination," he said.

The minister also said that the government was going to start eight post-graduation medical courses at the district hospitals with intake capacity of 324 students each.

"60 per cent of enrolment will be fresh MBBS graduates and the rest will be the doctors working with health department. PG courses in gynaecology, anaesthesia, pediatrics, ophthalmology, radiology and mental health, etc., will be taught," he said, adding that admissions will start this month.

"These post-graduate doctors will be available in three years and they will be required to serve in rural areas for two years," Sawant said.