CR plans emergency medical rooms at 43 stations

According to CR officials, tenders have been floated to hire agencies to set up and manage these facilities, some of which are being expanded

MUMBAI: Central Railway (CR) plans to set up emergency medical rooms (EMRs) at 43 suburban railway stations, to provide swift medical assistance to passengers in case of accidents and other emergencies. These have been selected as they are major stations of the 117 on the suburban network.

Chembur station has an emergency medical room, but is awaiting drug licences before it can become operational. (HT Photo)

According to CR officials, tenders have been floated to hire agencies to set up and manage these facilities, some of which are being expanded.

At present, only 12 EMRs are operational on the railway’s suburban network, according to information provided by the railway in response to a passenger’s application seeking such a facility at Dombivli station.

Sachin Kumar Maurya, who had sought an EMR at Dombivli station, received a response from the railway’s hospital in Kalyan on September 11, stating that three facilities are managed by the CR’s medical department through an arrangement with Annie Foundation, a non-profit, while the remaining nine facilities are run by the CR’s commercial department. Two facilities, at Chembur and Mankhurd, are awaiting drug licences before they can become operational.

An expanded EMR will be opened at Khopoli after construction-related work is completed after the monsoon, the letter stated. The move to expand emergency medical facilities comes against the backdrop of directions issued by the Bombay High Court regarding medical assistance at railway stations.