Bengaluru foundation: Making people ‘GiveWay’ to ambulances

Bengaluru: It was a Monday morning, and lakhs of Bengalureans, after spending their weekends, were heading back to their work. As it was the first day of the week, all roads were heavily crowded.

Ms Shakunthala, who was 44 years old then, had developed pain in her chest and was asked to be taken immediately to Jayadeva Hospital on Bannerghatta Main Road from Indiranagar ESI. An ambulance was immediately called and her son, Mr Suresh Kumar, accompanied her.

As the ambulance started to move with its sirens blaring, no one on the road bothered to give way to the vehicle. Mr Suresh Kumar, who was consoling his mother, was pained to see that the motorists were blocking the way instead of giving space.

"My mother received the treatment on time, but there are many who die on their way to hospitals. We all are in a hurry, but if we can just give way to ambulances, a lot of lives can be saved by reaching the hospital and getting the needed treatment on time," said Mr Suresh Kumar, the founder of GiveWay Foundation.

Born out of this bitter experience in 2003, the GiveWay Foundation aims to create awareness on the need to make way for ambulances during emergency. While the foundation was officially registered in 2016 and went big since then, Mr Suresh Kumar was conducting small awareness camps since 2003.

GiveWay Foundation volunteers stand at major traffic junctions and distribute cards that carry guidelines for motorists.

"Which way should we steer our vehicles when ambulances come from behind? Many do not know this basic fact. Some move to the left, while others to the right, and ambulances get stuck in the middle without any space to move forward. All vehicles should move to the left and make way for ambulances on the right lane," he said.

Foundation volunteers bear the heat, dust and pollution at traffic signals to hand out these instruction manuals. They visit parks, companies and schools to spread the word, and they also closely work with the traffic police department.

Mr Kumar said that he targets schoolchildren as among the ones who are majorly carried in ambulances are accident victims and some of the accidents are caused by children who drive recklessly without valid licence. He feels that if his message reaches children, it is carried to the whole family and the entire area.

Sharing his future plans, Mr Kumar said, "A lot can be done from the government side. They can put markers on the right lane to show that it is priority lane for ambulances. As ambulances arrive, other vehicles should make space for them after hearing the siren."

Also, signal synchronisation should be tried where after hearing the ambulance siren, the next traffic signals should be turned green, making for a smooth exit of vehicles, he suggested.

Also like the red, yellow and green in traffic signals, a blue light should also be included. "Ambulance sirens are mostly blue and immediately after the siren glows, the traffic signals should give the blue signal, facilitating the movement of ambulances," he said.

Among the volunteers are his 12-year-old daughter Ilakkiya and his eight-year-old son Gowtham, who along with his father, puts on the placards with the message, "Give Way to Ambulance", and spreads the message on the importance of giving way to ambulances.