The Bombay high court on Monday suggested that the Central and Western Railways consider setting up a dedicated team to provide medical assistance to train accident victims in view of the increase in
The Bombay high court on Monday suggested that the Central and Western Railways consider setting up a dedicated team to provide medical assistance to train accident victims in view of the increase in the number of accidents on tracks.
A division bench of Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite-Dere on Monday made this suggestion while hearing a PIL filed by social activist Samir Zaveri seeking directions for railways to take steps to provide emergency medical assistance to train accident victims and curb deaths on Mumbai railway tracks. The bench observed that setting up a special team would go a long way in providing immediate help to the victims. The judges said that the Union government and the railways might make a provision for such a special team in the budget.
The judges also suggested setting up a separate division for updating the website to help the accident victims after Zaveri’s lawyer Pradeep Havnur pointed out that railways should constantly update its website to provide details of accident victims so that their relatives get information quickly.
The high court also suggested that the government should tie up with private hospitals located near the stations so that injured persons can be moved there and given treatment in the ‘golden hour’ (the first one hour after the accident). Zaveri complained to the court that private hospitals often do not admit victims of train mishap.
Meanwhile advocate Suresh Kumar on behalf of railways told the court that sufficient steps had been taken to ensure safety of passengers during journey and also on tracks but still the accidents occurred.
He submitted a report before the court, which said that certain measures had been taken, including construction of foot-over brides and escalators and barricades between the tracks and 10 emergency medical rooms would be established at initial stage at stations, including Bandra, Andheri and Borivali.
The court has now posted this matter for hearing after four weeks so that judges can study the report submitted by the railways.
