India, Sept. 16 -- Traffic snarls in and around central Mumbai following the closure of the Elphinstone Bridge on September 12 have led to a serious concern-ambulances ferrying critical patients to the many hospitals located near the bridge are getting delayed.

Most ambulance drivers have had to take alternate, longer routes through Lower Parel or Dadar to reach hospitals in Parel, such as KEM Hospital, Tata Memorial Hospital, and Gleneagles Hospital. On Monday, heavy rain and waterlogged roads exacerbated the problem, leaving ambulances stuck in traffic for hours.

Asif Shah from Shah Ambulance Service told HT, "As patients turn serious, relatives start yelling at us to rush faster to the hospital. But the problem is traffic. The bridge...