Latest news with #StanleyMedicalCollegeHospital
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Basin bridge can't handle traffic load; govt yet to act
Chennai: Each morning, traffic piles up for more than a kilometre near Basin Bridge flyover, making the commute from North Chennai a daily ordeal. With no alternative routes, more than one lakh people including office-goers, schoolkids, and hospital-bound patients are forced to crawl across the city's oldest and most congested bridge, built between 1869 and 1873 by the British. The bridge, with just a 6m-wide ascending arm and 19m descending arm, cannot accommodate the 20,000 vehicles that try to cross it during peak hours. The situation has worsened in recent months with traffic from the under-construction Ganeshapuram and R K Nagar flyovers being diverted here, adding more pressure on an already saturated stretch. Ambulances are among the worst hit. Basin Bridge is the only direct link between major hospitals such as Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital and Stanley Medical College Hospital. "Emergency vehicles that have turned on their sirens are stranded in the jam. We have to run alongside and request two-wheelers to move," said a traffic constable posted at the junction. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai In April 2025, highways minister E V Velu told the Tamil Nadu Assembly that the govt would inspect the site and explore options to either widen the existing bridge or construct a new one. But three months later, officials say there has been no follow-up. "We've heard nothing since from the minister on Basin Bridge inspection," said a senior highways department official. Residents and civic groups say the issue has been ignored for too long. "The bridge should be rebuilt above the Highest Flood Level (HFL) such as Stephen's Road Bridge," said AJ Gopi, a Kodungaiyur resident. For long-term decongestion, some have suggested a larger overhaul. "We need a temporary Bailey bridge now to ease peak-hour pressure," said G Sarathkumar, founder of Vyasai Thozargal. "Eventually, Diamond Junction should be modernized with smart signals, secure railway crossings, and Buckingham Canal should be desilted. All these contribute to the gridlock." Meanwhile, even simple interventions such as widening footpaths or installing signboards — proposed months ago by Greater Chennai Traffic Police — remain unaddressed.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Few scanners, long lines, a pain point for patients at GHs
Chennai: A scan at a govt hospital often means a day lost as patients have to wait for hours in serpentine queues. "I came from Nellore and registered at 8am. They asked me to wait three hours, but it is 5pm now. I am still waiting," said a senior citizen waiting outside the MRI unit at Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital (RGGGH). With just 4–7 computed tomography (CT) scan machines and a single magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine functioning at top hospitals such as RGGGH, Stanley Medical College Hospital, and Tamil Nadu Govt Multi-Super Specialty Hospital, long waits are routine. Each of these hospitals gets around 400 patients a day for scans. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai CT scans cost 500 and MRIs 2,500 across these hospitals. A CT takes around 10–20 minutes, while MRIs typically need 30 minutes. But in reality, patients say it costs a lot more and the scan duration is also longer. RGGGH has seven CT machines, but only two machines run round the clock. They are used for general, angio, and biopsy scans. "If I need a scan, I keep my entire day free. Emergencies in the hospital pop up out of nowhere, and everything gets delayed," said a patient from Maduravoyal. Technicians, however, said, it takes longer because many patients struggle to follow instructions. "They must remain still during the scan, and if they move, we often have to repeat the procedure," said a technician from the radiology department. Also, most CT and MRI machines are 10–15 years old. "We need more new machines," said a technician. "These hospitals have only one MRI each, and we have asked for a 3 Tesla MRI, which gives clearer images and helps us train PG students better. We might get it this year," said Dr Amarnath C, HoD of radiology at Stanley Medical College. Doctors are grappling with severe staff shortage too. "We need 5–6 more professors in our department. There is also a shortage of technicians and nurses. Increasing manpower by even 30% would help," said Dr S Jayalakshmi, professor of nephrology at RGGGH. Doctors also highlight delays in digitising outpatient services and records.
