NEW DELHI: Now get your blood and lipid profile tests done at railway stations just for Rs 10-50 while you wait for your train. Indian Railways is planning to start a pilot project of health testing machines with facility of doctor consultation via videoconferencing at platforms. To start with, two such ‘health ATMs’ will be installed at Old Delhi and Nizamuddin stations in the capital.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, has received proposals from healthcare companies to install ‘health ATMs’, a walk-in kiosk with integrated medical devices, staffed by a medical attendant.
The idea is to provide bio-testing facilities to passengers at platforms and the basic tests will cost somewhere between Rs 10 and Rs 50. Passengers can just walk in to get a quick preventive health check-up or can also consult reputed healthcare providers via high definition video-conferencing.
“The machine that looks like cash ATMs has interactive medical devices to stream biomedical information, manage health history and live video consultation with reputed doctors,” said a senior railway official.
Tests such as Body Mass Index, body composition, pulse rate, blood pressure, lipid profile, blood glucose and haemoglobin can be conducted. The machine takes most of the primary care readings and will give instant health report and prescription.
There are also plans to install one ATM machine for trials at the three-day Rail Vikas Shivir, which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week. The company that is installing the machines has claimed that their device has been approved by US Food and Drug Administration.
“We have asked one company to install machine at the Shivir so that 700 participants can use it and this will also help in validating results. We are also in the process of validating results by doing random tests. There is a proposal to install machine on pilot basis at Nizamuddin and Old Delhi railway station,” the official added.
‘Health ATMs’ have been installed in the last few months in the rural parts of Karnataka and Chhattisgarh where there is a shortage of doctors. The health ministry is also in the process of installing similar machines to dispense free drugs on prescription. Railways has been taking innovative measures such as offering Rs 10 lakh travel insurance at a premium less than Rs 1 for the convenience of passengers.