With the rains only days away, authorities claim the condition of most of the roads in the city is ‘okay’, leaving motorists hopeful of a hassle-free monsoon.

However, a ride on the stretch of road that houses one of the most prominent hospitals in the country, the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) apart from the Command Hospital, is far from being-hassle free. Ask any patient who has had to travel to these hospitals and they would say the ride is a bone-crushing experience, virtually.

The condition of the Wanavdi Road is so bad that patients on their way to these hospitals often end up compounding their health woes. Sunil Mayekar, who was on his way to get treatment for fever, ended up in the orthopaedic ward. “A car hit my bike while I was on my way to the Command Hospital to keep my appointment with a physician. The accident happened because I swerved to avoid a huge pothole. I broke my arm and had to wear a cast for two weeks. I had to skip office for a few days,” said Mayekar. “The road is in a pathetic condition and driving on it is risky, especially at night,” he said.

Ajit Khare, a Wanavdi resident, said, “During the recent autorickshaw strike, I had to take my nephew, who had stitches on his knee, to AFMC on my motorcycle. At the hospital, we found that two stitches had come undone.”

According to Col Abhijit Rudra, public relations officer, AFMC, “It has been an accident-prone area for long. Of late, it has turned worse, with some fatalities occurring. It is one of the main access roads to both hospitals. Patients, especially senior citizens, find it hazardous to even cross the road, owing to the large volume of traffic and absence of speed-breakers,” he said. This is especially true of the Artificial Limb Centre, with many convalescing soldiers crossing the road throughout the day, always in danger of adding to their injuries.

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