Mumbai: RTI activist exposes the closure of emergency medical centers at railway stations

Passengers experience dizziness, headaches and other urgent medical needs while traveling on Mumbai's suburban rail lines. Emergency Medical Centers were set up at major railway stations to help passengers who face medical emergencies or accidents. However, it has been noticed that these health centers in many major stations are closed for the past few months. This may pose a risk to passengers who may require medical treatment.

Emergency Medical Centers have been started near the railway stations to provide immediate treatment to those concerned who fall ill while traveling by train or are injured in a train accident. But most of the time there is no medical staff, doctor in this center. Also, passengers were complaining about non-availability of important medical equipment. Meanwhile, it has been revealed from the information requested by Right to Information Activist Sameer Zaveri that Emergency Medical Centers in major stations of Central Railway are closed.

Emergency medical centers were started in 2023 at Karjat, Kalyan, Kurla, Ulhasnagar, Chembur, Kalwa, Dadar, Vashi, Ghatkopar and Bhandup on Central Railway. However, the emergency medical center at Kurla was closed followed by Ulhasnagar that got closed on 1 December 2023, Karjat on 15 December 2023, Chembur on 19 November 2023, Kalwa on 20 November 2023, Bhandup on 29 November 2023, Govandi on January 2024, Thane on 20 June 2024, Titwala, Mankhurd, Panvel on 18 June 2024 and emergency medical centers at Vikhroli on 2 December 2024 were closed. 

As a result, passengers were deprived of medical care. Also, railway passengers have to go out of the railway premises for first aid or urgent treatment. Meanwhile, according to a senior Central Railway official, emergency medical centers are operational at five stations namely Kalyan, Vashi, Byculla, Vikhroli and Ghatkopar. 

Meanwhile, the Central Railway Administration has entered into an agreement with the private hospitals near the stations on the Central Railway to ensure that the passengers injured in train accidents get early treatment and get better services. The process of signing agreements with hospitals near as many stations as possible is underway, he said.