Authorities have created the longest (313km-long) green corridor in the northeast from Silchar to Guwahati to shift a 71-year-old patient for advanced treatment. The ambulance carrying the woman started its journey at 6.30am and is expected to cover the distance in eight hours instead of the usual 10-11 hours.
Four police vehicles escorted the ambulance up to the Meghalaya border. The Meghalaya police are to offer the same support before it re-enters Kamrup (Metropolitan) in Assam en route to Guwahati. Officials said this was the longest green corridor being provided for a medical emergency in the northeast.
The patient, Era Choudhury, was admitted to a Silchar hospital on May 25 and suffers from pneumonia. She is also diabetic and has a history of hypertension, said Dr Amit Kalowar, who was treating her.
“Considering her condition, the woman’s family decided to shift the patient from Silchar to Guwahati after consulting some senior doctors,” he said.
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Era Choudhury’s son, Soumen, who requested the district administration for the green corridor, said doctors told them she was not fit to fly and hence they were taking her to Guwahati by road.
{{/usCountry}}Era Choudhury’s son, Soumen, who requested the district administration for the green corridor, said doctors told them she was not fit to fly and hence they were taking her to Guwahati by road.
{{/usCountry}}Cachar police superintendent Vaibhav Chandrakant Nimbalkar said he has spoken to his counterparts in Meghalaya and requested them to facilitate the smooth passage of the ambulance. “Our team has escorted the ambulance and cleared the roads till the Meghalaya border. From there, the officials of the neighbouring state are coordinating. After crossing Meghalaya, they will reach Kamrup Metropolitan district.”
This is the third green corridor provided by Cachar administration within a month, and the fourth overall.
Last year, a 33-year-old man was airlifted from Silchar to Kolkata after testing positive for Covid-19, but he was declared dead on arrival there.
This month a 68-year-old man with post-Covid complications was moved to Silchar airport through a green corridor but an air ambulance could not fly him due to his condition. The patient was taken back to the Silchar hospital, and he died within an hour. Another patient was airlifted from Silchar to Guwahati on June 5 and a green corridor was provided for that as well.
A green corridor for a medical emergency was created for the first time in Assam in 2017 to shift a critically ill four-month-old boy to the Guwahati airport. An air ambulance then flew the boy and his parents to New Delhi for advanced treatment.