Technical staff gives wrong treatment to doctor on train

Patna: A senior govt doctor was allegedly administered the wrong treatment by a technical staff member, not a qualified physician, during her journey on the New Delhi-Patna Tejas Rajdhani Express, raising fresh concerns over the quality and oversight of medical assistance provided to passengers on trains.

Dr Divya, head of the eye department at Bulandshahr District Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, was travelling to Patna on Saturday. Midway through the journey, she began experiencing gastric discomfort and dialled the railway helpline 139, requesting urgent medical assistance.

According to Dr Divya, she received a call back from an official of the Prayagraj division under North Central Railway (NCR), who informed her that a fee would apply if she wanted medical attention.

However, at Kanpur Central station that night, she was shocked when a technical staff member, not a qualified doctor, arrived to attend to her.

"He administered an antibiotic, despite my symptoms being clearly related to gastric discomfort. When I identified myself as a senior medical professional and questioned the treatment, he remained silent but still insisted I pay Rs 350 for the visit and an additional Rs 32 for the medicines."

She added that while no receipt was given for the consultation fee, she was sent a medicine bill via an instant messaging platform. "Even after repeated persuasion, I was not given a bill for the so-called doctor's visit," she said.

Responding to the allegation, NCR's chief public relations officer Shashi Kant Tripathi said on Sunday, "The Railway Board has fixed Rs 100 as a nominal fee in some cases for a doctor's visit to attend to a patient on board. There is no such fee like Rs 350 for a doctor's visit. The railways will inquire into the matter."

Dr Divya has lodged an online complaint with the Railway Board and NCR authorities. "I have demanded fair treatment for patients on trains and a complete check on this kind of extortion in the name of medical aid," she said.