Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Gandhi Medical College (GMC) administration has introduced parking rates, which patients attendants have called premium parking rates, to check movement of unwanted elements in Hamidia Hospital campus, which is common for GMC, Hamidia Hospital, Sultania Hospital and Kamla Nehru hospital.
As per parking plan, charges will be collected at the rate of Rs 10 per hour from two-wheelers while Rs 20 per hour from cars/auto rickshaws. Rs 60 will be for full days for two-wheelers and Rs 120 for cars for full days. Similarly, for six-hour parking, visitors will have to pay Rs 20 for two-wheelers and Rs 60 for cars.
Patients as well as their attendants have condemned GMC administration for collecting high parking charges from patients who are visiting there for medical treatment. GMC administration called the rate at par with Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) multilevel parking. Hemant Khandelwal, patient attendant said, ‘It is premium parking rates for patients visiting Hamidia Hospital and other hospitals for treatment. It is not justified. It is loot in the name of streamlining parking in hospital campus.
No parking charges is collected from visitors in Vallabh Bhavan, Vindhyachal and Satpura Bhavan. When there is no charge for parking at top buildings of the state government, Hamidia Hospital administration has introduced premium rate for parking. It will lead to confrontation between patients’ attendant and parking contractor.’
GMC Dean Dr Kavita N Singh said, ‘We have introduced it to check movement of unwanted elements in the hospital campus for safety and security of medical and paramedical staff in the campus after RG Kar Medical College rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata.
We have noticed that people generally park their vehicles in the hospital campus for full day and keep on moving in Royal Market and finish their work. So this kind of practice will now be controlled with the parking rates which is at par with BMC in their multilevel parking so visitors should cooperate with GMC.’