ICU On Rails; Central Railways Initiative For Accident Victims

BENGALURU: It seems like the Indian Railway are on a spree to shower good news to the passengers. We can finally expect faster treatment while we travel on the trains. ToI reports that Central Railway has deployed India’s first Intensive Care Unit, the ICU van on rails to quickly ferry accident victims to tertiary care hospitals.

These air-conditioned ICU vans on rails will have all facilities including medical professionals and equipment of a regular ICU. The van will be rushed to the accident site to pick up the victims and are said to run at a speed of 140 kmph.

This is perhaps the most awaited measure from the Indian Railway after a series of accidents most of them resulting in deaths due to lack of immediate medical assistance. The decision was taken after the Roha derailment accident in which at least 22 people have succumbed to death due to lack of medical assistance. Better late than never Central Railway (CR) has finally reacted to do the needful.

CR has developed two such vans at the Matunga workshop near Mumbai city station. CR General Manager, SK Sood said that, "The van will be deployed ideally to ferry victims within the limit from 50 to 200 km. We plan to bring all such victims to Railway Hospital in Byculla."

The van can accommodate relatives of victims as well. Another railway official said, “The ambulance can carry only one patient at a time and that too by road. More patients can be taken care of in an ICU van. It can be given green signal right through its journey since the van is on emergency duty."

Besides the ICU van, CR now plans to ferry victims via air ambulance, which is yet to receive a formal approval.

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