Healthcare :: Indian Railways introduces mobile medical van for healthcare

The Indian Railways has initiated several steps, including the introduction of a “road mobile medical van”, to provide speedy and quality healthcare to about two million serving and retired employees.

“The health delivery system in railways could be classifed as ‘good’ but it needed improvement to make it outstanding. In order to improve the situation, the road mobile medical van has been introduced,” Railway Health Services Director General D K Das said.

“A pilot project was done. It was found to be very useful.” Of the 14 lakh serving employees and about three lakh retired personnel who joined the Railway Employees Health Services Scheme, about three lakh (or 21 per cent) are posted at 7,000 railway stations, Das said in an article published in Indian Railways, the official magazine of the ministry.

These three lakh employees find it difficult to reach railway hospitals. Under the mobile van project, medical officers and a para-medical team with medicines and basic equipment will visit each railway station at least twice a week on a fixed day and time, Das said.

The services provided will include consultation, supply of medicines, basic medical investigation in the same station or at a nearby station, immunisation, health education and specialist consultancy on periodical basis, he said.

Medical officers in-charge of health units located more than 75 km away from railways hospitals have been empowered to undertake common investigations, he added.


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