Ambulance used just four times in 20 years

Ambulance has been lying idle at Churchgate station for two decades, reveals RTI query; it has not ferried a single accident victim

On June 16, Suresh Jadhav slipped outside the toilet at Churchgate station and suffered serious head injuries. Instead of rushing him to hospital, railway authorities wasted about an hour before ferrying him to Bombay Hospital by cab. 


Sitting idle: The GM Building at Churchgate where the ambulance was 
kept. The vehicle was used only four times in the last 20 years, but not 
for those injured in the tracks

Suresh did not survive.

He had not been brought to the hospital in time, doctors said. 

Why was Jadhav not rushed to hospital immediately, asks his family. And the same question is raised by the kith and kin of 664 other commuters who lost their lives in the last eight years on Mumbai's deadly tracks between Churchgate and Charni Road. 

The answer is shocking. At Churchgate station, which is used by 5.5 lakh to 6 lakhcommuters every day, not once in the last 20 years has an ambulance been used to ferry victims of railway accidents. This has been thrown up in a reply to an RTI query.

According to the RTI reply, the ambulance has been used four times in the last 20 years, but not for those injured on the tracks or at stations. "The ambulance has been used thrice in 2006 and only once in 2007," states the reply. 

Does it come as any further shock then that in the last eight years (2002 to 2009), there were 735 people injured in accidents between Churchgate and Charni Road stations? This, as per records of the Mumbai railway police. 

"Thousands have died only because they did not receive treatment on time and because the railway authorities did not take the pain to use the ambulance. Blame the ignorant railway authorities for their deaths. Criminal proceedings should be initiated to bring such officials to task," said Sameer Zaveri, an RTI activist, who filed the application.

Taxis only
Those posted at Churchgate station agree that the railways are apathetic while dealing with medical emergencies. "Every month, there are around three to four cases where victims need to be shifted to hospitals, but the ambulance has never been used," said a Government Railway Police (GRP) officer, stationed at Churchgate. "Depending upon the emergency, victims are rushed to the nearest hospital in private cars or taxis. The authorities fail to understand that with an ambulance you can dodge traffic and save time." 

Though this ambulance has never been used to ferry victims to hospitals over two decades, it is not clear if the vehicle has ever been replaced. 

A senior Railway official, who is posted at Churchgate railway station for more 10 years, said, "The ambulance is old. The railways did get a new ambulance three years ago, but it was moved to other railway stations."
However, Zaveri said whether the ambulance is old or new would be irrelevant. 

"It doesn't matter whether the ambulance is old or new. The point is that victims can't avail of this service, which is exclusively for them," he said. 

Money matters 
A stationmaster is authorised to pay Rs 750 towards ambulance or taxi charges and Rs 60 each to four persons to carry a victim to hospital. Thus, for each accident case a stationmaster is authorised to spend up to Rs 990. In exceptional cases, this sum can be increased, depending on the gravity of the situation. 

Case study Sameer Zaveri who filed the RTI application has himself been a victim of railway apathy. At the age of 18, Zaveri was hit by a train while crossing tracks at Borivli, in the absence of a foot over bridge. He received no help from the railways, but was taken to hospital by two unidentified men. Though Zaveri's life was saved, his leg was injured beyond repair. Even today, he walks with a limp. 
The Other Side Shyam Sunder Gupta, chief public relations officer, Western Railway, said, "An ambulance is parked near the WR headquarters and is used depending upon the medical emergency. Whenever there is an accident, the firstpriority is to move the victim to hospital."

According to officials, WR has three ambulances, which are parked outside Churchgate, Lower Parel and Bandra stations.

However, when MiD DAY visited the headquarters, there was no ambulance parked on its premises. "The ambulance has gone for some repairs," said a source. 
10, the average number of people who die on railway tracks in Mumbai every day
20,706, the number of people killed in the city by WR and CR in the last five years.