Central Railway starts ICU-on-Rails Service for Accident Victims

The rail ambulance launched in Mumbai will have all the ICU facilities and will take 7-8 patients at a time to nearby hospitals. Here's all you need to know.

By Shreya Pareek

June 3, 2015

The rail ambulance launched in Mumbai will have all the ICU facilities and will take 7-8 patients at a time to nearby hospitals. Here’s all you need to know.

Now train accident victims will get access to medical attention in that golden hour. Central Railway has launched India’s first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Rails to take patients to its tertiary care hospital in Mumbai.

As soon as an accident occurs, the van with medical facilities will rush to the site and shift people to the tertiary care hospital through the railway tracks.

Photo for representation purpose only. Courtesy: www.team-bhp.com

This ambulance-on-rail will have all the crucial facilities and medical equipment which is required in an emergency in the ICU.

Each van can accommodate seven to eight people at a time, and will be used to attend to any incidents that occur within 50 to 200 kms from the railway hospital at Byculla so the victims can be given immediate care.

While road ambulances can accommodate one patient at a time, this rail ambulance can help larger number of people and will also be faster.

The decision was made after the Roha derailment accident on May 4, 2014 where 22 people died due to lack of medical facilities close by.

The Central Railway has developed two such AC vans at its Matunga workshop made from two coaches that were pulled out of service.

CR also plans to launch air ambulance but the proposal is still pending.

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