Doctors on board long-distance trains are all set to make a debut with the Railways deciding to depute one General Duty Medical Officer and one paramedical staff in all Duronto (end-to-end nonstop) trains as a pilot project for a year.

The medical services will come free of cost. Nine pairs of Duronto trains are currently operational.

Deciding to earmark two berths in an AC-2 compartment for the doctor and the attendant, the Railways have authorised the zonal railways to purchase equipment like ECG, ophthalmoscope, glucometer and treatment equipment like defibrillators, portable suction apparatus, oxygen cylinders and nebulizers.

The mechanical and electrical departments have been told to make necessary modifications in coaches to provide oxygen cylinder holders, drip set holders, and extra lighting for patient management and extra plug points for resuscitation equipment.

Once a passenger is examined, the medical team will be allowed to move the person to a designated patient-care sick bay on the train.

In case the doctor decides that that passenger needs to be detrained, the train superintendent will stop the train at the next station that has medical facilities.

The station manager will be responsible for transferring a patient from the station to the nearest medical centre.