On 31.07.2018, Hon’ble Supreme Court stated that there was something “terribly wrong” with Railways which has failed to provide adequate medical facility in the trains and stations resulting in deaths of passengers in some cases. Even Railways had last week admitted in Lok Sabha that over 1,600 passengers died on board trains in the past three years.

Hon’ble Apex Court Bench comprising of Hon’ble Justice Madan B Lokur and Hon’ble Justice Deepak Gupta stated that, “You (Railways) do not have even the basic first aid facility? You are not telling us about it. If it (medical facility) is not there, then there is something terribly wrong”.

Hon’ble Supreme Court Bench was hearing a matter related to death of a man at the platform of Vijayawada Railway Station after de-boarding a train.

Hon’ble National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC), which had heard the case earlier, had observed that he had died due to heart attack.

Hon’ble Apex Court asked Advocate appearing for the Railway Board to file an affidavitwithin two weeks giving details of the medical facilities at Railway Stations.

Bench is hearing an appeal filed by the Railway Board against the February 20 judgement of the NCDRC which had upheld Rs 10 Lakh compensation awarded by a State Consumer Commission to the widow of the deceased.

Hon’ble SC Bench while referring to facts of the case, the bench wondered, “A person had collapsed at the railway station. He was lying there for hours and no one gave him medical help.” The counsel appearing for the Railways said he would file an affidavit giving details of medical facilities provided at the stations.

In its order, the NCDRC had noted that the man was travelling from Secunderabad to Vijayawada in the Golconda Express and had de-boarded the train at about 8 pm. The commission had noted that he had died at one of the platforms of Vijayawada railway station and his body was noticed after around four hours.

Hon’ble State Commission, in April, 2017 had allowed her appeal and directed Railways to pay a Compensation of Rs 10 lakh. Railways had then moved the NCDRC challenging the order of the State Commission.

In its order, Hon’ble NCDRC observed that it was possible that life of person could have been saved if immediate medical aid was provided to him.