NEW DELHI: Railway is planning to provide round the clock free first aid services to all passengers under healthcare scheme which also include 40 percent discounts for healthcare tests at Rs 9 per passenger for the entire journey.
This comes on the lines of passengers travel insurance scheme set to be launched by IRCTC from September 1 giving an accidental cover of Rs 10 lakh to all passengers at a premium of Rs 1. A decision on who will bear the cost of healthcare service is yet to be decided.
A healthcare network company Oxxy Healthcare has approached the Railway Board offering healthcare services aboard trains. Under the proposal submitted by the company, it will provide 24X7 free first aid services to all passengers and ambulance facilities across all major stations in the country.
“The idea is to cater to emergency help for Indian railways passengers across the country. The company has approached us and we are exploring the offer made by it and will invite express of interest (EoI) and then bidders,” said sources in the ministry.
According to company, the tie up can provide direct access to more than 400,000 doctors while travelling as it has well equipped network of 150,000 healthcare professionals in 1500 cities. It is also offering up to 40 percent discount (upto Rs 1 crore billing) for healthcare tests like X-ray, ultrasounds, scanning and MRI among others.
At present all passenger carrying trains are provided with the First Aid Boxes containing essential drugs and dressing materials. In addition, Augmented First Aid Boxes with wide range of medicines, disposable medical material have been provided with the Train Superintendents/Guards of Rajdhani/Shatabdi Express trains and some nominated trains.
Front line staffs deployed on trains are also trained in rendering First Aid. Trains can also make unscheduled halts, if necessary, at the stations en-route in emergencies. The Station Masters of all stations have details of doctors, clinics and hospitals, both government and private, in the vicinity of the station, so that their services could also be availed, in emergencies.
Ambulance service of both Railway hospitals and state governments are utilized when required.