Mumbai: While there should be be full-fledged emergency medical services (EMS) on all railway platforms as per a Bombay high court order of March 2017, the existing facilities are poor, stated railway activist Sameer Zaveri, who had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) which led to last year’s high court order. According to sources however, railway authorities have said that they are planning to upgrade the current EMS facilities.
The HC last year directed the railway to set up emergency medical rooms (EMRs) at all stations on the central and western line in a phased manner.
A division bench of Justice Vidyasagar Kanade and Justice Pukhraj Bora at the time ruled, “Over a period of time, EMRs should be set up at all railway stations.” The EMRs were meant to help save the lives of several commuters.
Mr Zaveri told The Asian Age, “Every year, over 2,500 to 3,000 people die on the Mumbai suburban rail network alone. Many of them die because there was no medical treatment available during the life-saving ‘golden hour’. So, I decided to pursue this matter and was successful in obtaining orders from the HC to keep at least one ambulance ready at every station, and set up EMRs at suburban stations across Mumbai.”
Pointing to the existing facilities, he said, “An up-gradation is a must at a few railway stations. There are still railway stations that lack EMRs. Also, ambulances should be deployed on an emergency basis.”
Past forward
The HC had directed the railway to avoid untoward incidents resulting in deaths, and injuries on the tracks, apart from conducting analysis and identifying faults that could be curbed. The court had directed the railway to ensure that there is a sharp decline in the accidental deaths.
