Chandigarh, Apr 20 (IANS): Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S. Karuna Raju said on Saturday that as per general protocol, ambulances are not stopped at security check points and are facilitated to cross security barriers without any inconvenience to the patients.

Only in case of specific inputs about Model Code of Conduct violation can the ambulances be checked, he said.

In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health and family welfare, Punjab, the CEO asked the state government to issue an advisory to public and private ambulance service providers about the EC decision.

Raju said in the past, it was observed that sometimes ambulances carried the names and pictures of political personalities, which have the potential to influence voters' behaviour.

"This would cause inconvenience to the patients who are being carried by the ambulances to hospitals in case they are stopped on the way," he pointed out.

The CEO appealed to the ambulance operators to use their services seamlessly for the health service operations by following the Model Code of Conduct rules.