Bombay HC's order to rlys: Ensure medical facility at suburban stations

The Bombay High Court today said the railways must take the responsibility of safety of commuters and make available basic medical facility at all suburban stations in the city.

A division bench of justices A S Oka and A K Menon was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by activist Samir Zaveri, who had himself lost his legs in a railway accident, He has sought setting up of emergency medical centres in suburban stations.

After the petition was filed and orders were passed by the court, the railways had set up emergency medical centres at 15 out of a total of 125 suburban stations.

The Maharashtra government had also stationed ambulances at 46 stations to handle accident cases and ferry victims to the nearest hospital.

"Setting up of emergency medical centres was the first phase. The railways should now make available some kind of medical facilities at each and every station. The railways must take responsibility," Justice Oka said.

The court also directed the government to ensure that the doctors who sit in the ambulances outside the stations are trained to handle emergency situations and equipments in the ambulances.

"Since, the doctors are not MBBS graduates but Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) graduates, they might need additional training to handle such peculiar cases. There should be a mandatory training at a government-established centre," it said.

The court said that with doctors who are not trained or equipped to handle emergency cases, purpose of having an ambulance is not served.

The government has been asked to file an affidavit in the matter on March 25.