Attempts are being made to prevent the vehicular traffic control operations at the Colombo National Hospital Square road network carried out by a special Police Traffic Unit set up at the Colombo National Hospital to ease the traffic congestion for the convenience of the patients, doctors and hospital staff and ambulances.
Western Province Traffic Division DIG Priyantha Liyanage said that he has written to the Director of the Colombo National Hospital stating that the Deputy Director of the National Hospital, Dr. Rukshan Bellana has been giving written and verbal instructions to the OIC of the special Hospital Police Traffic Unit, IP Susantha, emphasising that patients visiting the National Hospital should only use the parking lot located within the National Hospital Square and that no other hired vehicles from outside should be allowed into Hospital Square.
Dr. Bellana had pressured the OIC of the Colombo National Hospital Traffic Unit on several occasions to prohibit any hired vehicles from entering Hospital Square and to promote the parking facilities established within the hospital and had continued personal attacks and insults against the hospital traffic unit OIC and his team of Police officers. A protest has also been staged against the OIC of the hospital Police traffic unit, using some hospital staff, demanding to remove him immediately. The protest was held on Monday (9) near the car park of the National Hospital. Dr. Bellana had also released a video after holding a media discussion on social media accusing the OIC and other Police officers of carrying out corrupt acts together with three-wheeler drivers.
DIG Liyanage emphasised that the Police have no right to block access roads to the public without first launching a management plan that prioritises the community surrounding the National Hospital so that traffic congestion does not occur, in a context where there has been no legal request from the Colombo Municipal Council to reserve the Hospital Square road network surrounding the National Hospital and its surrounding communities.
The DIG also said that a patient’s right to choose the mode of transport of their choice based on their financial capacity cannot be violated and that if someone files a fundamental rights case for doing so, the case will be filed against the Police officers and not against Dr. Bellana.
DIG Liyanage said that since the installation of the special Traffic Police Unit at the Colombo National Hospital about nine months ago, upon the request by the Director of the Colombo National Hospital and after conducting an observation session on the severity of the traffic congestion at the Hospital Square, around 30 dedicated traffic police officers have been deployed in that unit. They have been working on two shifts to ease the traffic congestion around Hospital Square, allowing through a limited filtered process, only those coming to the hospital and leaving the hospital, including doctors, hospital staff, patients and ambulances to pass through during hospital peak hours.
DIG Liyanage has previously submitted a report to the National Hospital Director in this regard.
The DIG has also submitted a letter to the Commissioner of the Colombo Municipal Council on Tuesday (10) regarding this incident, seeking advice on the matter that involves permanent road closures in Hospital Square for public vehicles, as demanded by Dr. Bellana, as the Traffic Police cannot make permanent road closures and prevent the public from using these roads without the approval of the Colombo Municipal Council.
The Colombo National Hospital Traffic Police have now decided that since it is impossible to close the roads of Hospital Square, systematic traffic control should be carried out and if such unnecessary acts from Dr. Bellana continue to occur, the Police will provide full space for traffic in Hospital Square and take steps to withdraw from their traffic control duties.
DIG Liyanage has informed the Director of the Colombo National Hospital in writing again on Tuesday (10) that the Police have already launched a full-scale investigation into the matter.
DIG Liyanage has further informed in his letter to the Director of the Colombo National Hospital that if pressure on the OIC of the special Colombo National Hospital traffic unit continues, the Colombo National Hospital special Traffic Police Unit will have to be removed, causing the previous severe traffic congestion surrounding the Hospital Square road network to return once again, which used to severely inconvenience patients, doctors and hospital staff.
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