CHENNAI: When Smita (name changed) travelled in Brindavan Express to Chennai from Bangalore, little did she expect that she would end up travelling with a bleeding head. With no first–aid or any other medical assistance available in the train she had to wait till reaching Chennai to nurse her wounded head.
“The only help she got was from the people manning the pantry. They were generous enough to give her a few cubes of ice to help stop bleeding,” said Sandhya Manikandan, a co-passenger, who frantically tried to get some first-aid for the wounded. Smita got down at the station with Sandya and latter’s father brought bandages and anti-septic lotions for her from outside the station.
This incident, which happened a couple of months back, is not an odd case. Many passengers, who frequently travel by train, complain of non-availability of first-aid and emergency medical assistance in trains.
“The injury need not be fatal enough to stop train at the next station to get medical assistance, but some first-aid will help the passenger get relief till he can take himself for proper treatment.
Once my fingers got jammed between the door and was badly injured. I couldn’t find any first-aid. My co-passengers finally managed to get some bandage from a fellow traveller in another compartment, “ said Ramesh Khannan, an IT employee, who is a frequent traveller between Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai. The Southern Railway, however, maintained that in case of emergency situations the station masters of the nearest station would be informed and arrangements would be made to take the sick to the nearest hospital.
“In all the major stations there will be first-aid facility and a doctor on call to assist the really sick passengers,” said Neenu Ittyerah, Chief Public Relations Officer. She also said that TTEs do not carry first-aid kits. “ Any passenger feeling unwell has to take the help of TTEs to get down at the next station and the station master will give all assistance.” Rejecting the statements of the passengers on the lack of first-aid, the railways maintained that in long distance trains first-aid facility was made available with the Train Superintendents (TS). It was also available in all trains with pantry cars. In other trains the guards were in charge of the first-aid.