Kannur, Kozhikode railway stations lack medical facility

KOZHIKODE: The highest revenue-generating A1 and A category railway stations of Kozhikode and Kannur lack sufficient medical facilities. Medical care is available in emergency situations, that too during the day. Authorities are flooded with passengers’ complaints about non-availability of primary medical care round the clock. Kozhikode, the single A1 status station under Palakkad division, has a railway clinic adjacent to the fourth platform meant for employees, which attends the passenger care only in critical conditions. Despite this, the doctor is only available until 5 pm.

There are several instances of passengers experiencing fatigue at odd times, but they didn’t get medical care. “The only option is to get a vehicle and rush the patient to a nearby private hospital. Many commuters were saved only because a hospital was nearby,” said a railway official preferring anonymity. A few days back, a 70-year old man returning from Regional Cancer Center, Thiruvanantha-puram felt uneasiness on the station premises and his nephew ran in search of a doctor. There was no doctor in the hospital, and he had to reach the private hospital to get primary care.   “It was callousness on the part of railways on passenger amenities. The clinic meant for staff cannot be counted on account of passenger welfare,” said commuter C. Abdul Gafoor.

In Kannur also, the service of health clinic is available in day timings only. “There is no primary medical care of passengers, only the health clinic is available,” says Kannur station manager (SMR) Shailendran. A charitable trust has expressed interest in running an ambulance from the station, and the railway had agreed to provide a parking lot for the purpose. “The ambulance service is expected to be functional soon. Till we get the facility of emergency medical assistance centre, running of the ambulance is proposed,” the SMR added.

Hospitals  won’t cooperate to bring in ambulance service

Though Kozhikode railway station has got an emergency medical assistance centre (EMAC) proposal approved by divisional headquarters, the facility has not yet started. Ambulance services for primary medical care are the main component of EMACs run with the cooperation of private hospitals.  “No private hospitals here showed interest to sponsor an ambulance. We had sought their assistance many times but in vain,” chief commercial inspector Shyam Sasidharan said.

The EMACs in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam South stations are running with the support of private hospitals. Kozhikode got the EMAC facility along with Mangalore Central station, and it has got operational in Mangalore. “In the major stations, including Coimbatore and Mangalore, an ambulance is being sponsored by major hospitals. The railway would allow parking lot for the vehicle and space for a medical counter on railway premises,” a railway official said. EMAC facility is available at 12 major stations under Southern Railway.