TTEs to carry first-aid kits to help passengers who fall ill

• To provide timely medical attention for passengers the Indian Railways has decided to equip Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) with Special First Aid kits.

Highlights:

• These kits will be available for use during medical emergencies on board trains, significantly improving the response time for passenger care during journeys.
• While first-aid kits are already accessible to Station Masters and Train Managers, this new initiative extends the provision to TTEs.
• The aim is to not only enhance immediate medical care but also to prevent potential delays by avoiding unscheduled stops for medical emergencies.
• The pilot project, set to run for 12 months, will be launched across the Northern and North Central Railway zones.
• All TTEs on board will be supplied with first-aid kits containing both general and life-saving medications.
• According to railway sources, there were numerous instances where passengers, particularly children, had experienced symptoms such as fever, extreme fatigue, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea - conditions that could often be managed with basic medication.
• In the absence of medical facilities or doctors on board, TTEs previously had no choice but to notify the authorities concerned to arrange for medical assistance at the next stop.
• There have been several cases where trains were delayed due to unscheduled stops made to arrange medical assistance for ill passengers.
• The Special First Aid Kits include tablets like Sorbitrate, which can be administered to passengers experiencing chest pain, under the guidance of a doctor on board or through consultation with a railway hospital via phone
• The Railway Board has also approved the establishment of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras at 61 railway stations across the country.
• These centres aim to support the Government of India’s mission to provide quality medicines and consumables at affordable prices.
• In Southern Railway, Janaushadhi Kendras will be set up at Thrissur, Nagercoil, Chengalpattu, and Puducherry.

Prelims Takeaway

• Sorbitrate tablets
• Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras