Doctors onboard long distance trains in the offing

Railways are contemplating to provide a doctor in long distance trains, having practically no stoppages en route to handle emergency situations, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

"Proposal to depute a doctor on few long distance trains, having practically no stoppages en route, is under process," Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa said, indicating that fast trains like the non-stop Duronto and Sampoorna Kranti expresses will have such facilities.

At present, services of doctors travelling as passengers are utilised to attend to passengers in need of urgent medical assistance while trains are allowed to make unscheduled halts at stations en route in case of emergencies.

In a written reply, the Minister said railways have provided first aid boxes containing essential drugs and dressing materials in all long distance trains.

He also said that a database has been developed by railways providing information about the availability of "non-railway medical facilities" along tracks and at stations so that their services could be availed during emergencies.

To a separate question about provision of green toilets in trains, the Minister said that field trials were underway to set up such environment-friendly toilets in various trains.

The trials are currently underway in New Delhi-Rewa Express, Howrah-Guwahati Saraighat Express, Ahmadabad-Patna Azimabad Express and Chennai-Jammu Tawi Andaman Express.