NASHIK: The death of a passenger on Thursday morning has brought under sharp focus the abysmal emergency medical services at the Nashik Road railway station, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrive from across the country.Mishrilal Soni, a resident of Mulund, was travelling from Nagpur to Mumbai in the S4 coach of Sevagram Express. His wife, Kusumlata, noticed that he was not moving when the train was approaching the Lasalgaon station, about 40 km from the Nashik Road station.Soni was taken off the train when it reached the Nashik Road station at 8.27 am. The 108 ambulance with a doctor reached around 8:50 am and the man was declared dead.Enquiries revealed that the station is bereft of any emergency medical services, especially for those who require prompt medical attention at odd hours. The authorities at the station summon an ambulance or call the National Ambulance Service (NAS) by dialling 108 for medical help.There is a clinic near the station but is only for railway staff and not passengers and it has restricted timings. "Our doctor from the nearby clinic can be called in case of an emergency between 9am and 5pm. If an emergency arises after that, we have to call the 108 ambulance service," said an official at the station.City MP Hemant Godse admitted that there is an urgent need for proper emergency medical services at the station 24x7. "I will take up the issue with the Railways and try to ensure that this facility is set up."Rajesh Fokane, former member of the Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC), asked why no emergency medical room is being set up at the Nashik Road station.."During an emergency, the officials call the ambulance for shifting the patient to a nearby hospital. If a patient fails to get prompt help, it could cost him/her dearly," he said.Railway officials claimed that the doctor serving at the nearby clinic, which is basically a primary health centre, is meant only for railway employees and their relatives. It may be noted that the medical staff at the clinic are not allowed to give injection to passenger fearing reaction."This is ridiculous. How can a doctor help in attending the patient in emergencies like heart attacks, where every minute counts to ensure that the patient survives," said Niraj Patil, a medical practitioner at Nashik Road.According to railway officials said that on an average, there are eight to ten calls per month, wherein passengers seek medical attention. The complaints are mostly related to illnesses such as fever, vomiting, loose motions, stomach or headache."When the passengers tell the TC in the running train or even call up on any helpline numbers provided by the railways, the doctor, if available at the health unit near the station, is sent to the train to attend to the patient."In some cases, the patient is referred to Bytco Municipal Hospital which is close to the station, the officials added.

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