CHENNAI: With cases of medical emergencies on the rise during travel, the railways has decided to charge passengers Rs 100 as doctor consultation fee. The fee would remain the same regardless of ailments and doctors grade. An order issued by the Railway Board said, “When afflicted with sudden illness or injury (not caused due to train accident) the passengers will be charged consultation fee of Rs100. Besides, the cost of the medicine and injection would also recovered from the passengers.” To this effect, the TTEs have been authorised to collect the consultation fee for which excess fare ticket (EFT) receipt will be issued to passengers, added the order.
When passengers complain of illnesses such as respiratory problem, cardiac arrest or any other symptoms, the travel ticket examiners alert the control room or the next immediate station so as to make arrangements to provide medical assistance. In such cases, so far passengers have been provided first aid or consultation free of cost by medical staff or doctors deployed at the emergency medical centres at stations, as part of coordination between the railways and private hospitals. They are then referred to private or government hospitals.
However, the railways has clarified that when passengers suffer injuries due to derailments and or other train accidents, the onus on providing free medical assistance is on them. Presently, the Southern Railway has set up emergency medical centres at major stations including Central, Egmore, Madurai, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, Salem and Katpadi.
In 2015, the railways introduced helpline number 138 to help passengers during medical emergencies. In September 2017, a 55-year old woman travelling to Dhanbad from Jodhpur died, allegedly due to delay in providing medical assistance. Following this, the Rajasthan High Court directed the Railways to provide a team of one medical officer, one nurse, and one attendant in all long-distance trains. In October 2017, disposing of the appeal filed by the Centre, the Supreme Court ordered the railways to provide oxygen cylinders in all passenger trains. In March this year, making arrangements for medical support to travellers during emergency has been included in the TTE’s duty list.
Dadar-Nellai Exp to run on Thursdays from Dec 6
Chennai: In order to reduce terminal congestion at Dadar station, the weekly Dadar-Tirunelveli Express will run on Thursdays from December 6. According to official sources, train no 22629, Dadar - Tirunelveli Weekly Superfast Express which operates on Fridays from Dadar, will leave Dadar on Thursdays. The last service on Fridays would end on November 30.