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Mahesh

15/01/24 07:03 AM IST

Medical care on India’s trains is running late, with passengers at risk

In News
  • During a medical emergency on a moving train, a doctor found the train’s medical kit was following standards set in 1995.
Provisions of emergency care
  • Medical care provision in Indian Railways has evolved to address emergency medical conditions, not accident-related emergencies alone.
  • In 1995, a ‘Special first aid box’ was provided in long-distance superfast trains, Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains.
  • This box consisted of 49 items and was to be used by a doctor travelling on the train.
  • An improved version of this kit, called the ‘Augmented first aid box’, containing 58 items was provided for specific long-distance trains.
  • In November 1996, as part of a pilot project, Railways stationed a medical team in two long-distance trains.
  • This team consisted of a medical officer, a male nurse, and an attendant.
  • In the next four years, however, the Railways found the team was mostly idle, with the doctor attending only to minor ailments.
  • Only four critically ill passengers were recorded in this time, and none survived due to lack of adequate resources in the (moving) train.
  • The Railways subsequently discontinued the service – but to make healthcare accessible, it decided to give doctors travelling on trains a 10% discount if they were willing to provide medical services en route.
  • These medical provisions were found to be inadequate, however, when they failed to save the life of Netrapal Singh, the Chief Legal Assistant of Railways, who succumbed to a heart attack while travelling from Jaipur to Kota in February 2004.
  • In 2017, the Supreme Court directed the Railways to set up a committee consisting of experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to recommend further measures.
  • Based on the Court’s order and the committee’s recommendations, the Railways determined to modify the contents of the first aid boxes and provide them at all railway stations and in all passenger-carrying trains.
  • It also mandated first-aid training for railway staff at the time of joining and once every three years. The committee also recommended a review of service utilisation every three years.
Measures
  • In 2021, the Railways also launched an integrated helpline number – 139 – for all queries concerning the railways, including medical assistance.
  • A more immediate step however is for the Railways to ensure the updated 88-item list is in place in all trains and that passengers are aware of these services.
  • Periodic inspections are necessary to maintain the quality of care as well.
  • Finally, the Railways needs to install a system to capture data on the healthcare needs of people travelling on trains and use that to inform policy
Source- The Hindu

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