CLEARING THE ROAD FOR EMERGENCY

[Anchor Lead]

Traffic congestion is the largest obstacle emergency vehichles face when transporting patients to hospital. In Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, drivers helped clear the way for emergency patients to receive medical attention in time. Here is more

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A police patrol car rushes off with the siren on. There is a vehicle waiting close by, flashing its emergency lights. A man in his 60s, holding a cane, is helped into the police car. However, the road is heavily congested during the evening rush hour. But a miracle occurred at the desperate moment. One after another, drivers began making room for the police car to proceed ahead. A driver even moved aside onto the opposite lane to make way. Given the traffic congestion, it must have taken an hour to reach the hospital. But the trip took just 15 minutes with the help of citizens.

[Soundbite] KIM SANG-BEOM(NAMIL POLICE DEPT.) : "With the siren on, we asked drivers to make way for the patient. Thanks to their cooperation, we could transport the patient to the hospital quickly."

Last month, a man in his 50s, struggling with difficulty in breathing, sought help from a police officer who was carrying out crackdowns on drivers under the influence. The patient was moved into a patrol car and then transported on an ambulance to a hospital in time.

[Soundbite] HYUN YANG-HO(GOESAN POLICE DEPT.) : "I saw his daughter desperately asking for help from the police officer, so I did my best to transport him to a hospital as quickly as possible."

The precious lives were saved thanks to active cooperation from citizens and police officers.