Lok Sabha Question No. 57 (STARRED), answered on 2016-04-27
Subject: Modernisation of Railway Hospitals
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: YOGI ADITYANATH, JASVANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.57 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.04.2016

## MODERNISATION OF RAILWAY HOSPITALS

57. SHRI YOGI ADITYA NATH:

## SHRI JASVANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the working  of Railway hospitals  has  been reviewed  and  if  so,  the  details  of  shortcomings  noticed  and follow-up action taken thereon;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  condition  of most  of  the  railway  hospitals  is  quite  dismal  and  also  a number of posts of doctors, specialists and para-medical staff are lying vacant  in various zonal and  divisional railway hospitals;
- (c)  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  zone  and  division-wise  and  the reasons therefor;
- (d)  the  efforts  made  by  the  Government  to  fill  up  the  said vacant posts; and
- (e)  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the health care facilities, including upgradation and modernisation of railway hospitals?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

- (a) to (e) : A  Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  IN  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF STARRED QUESTION NO.57 BY SHRI YOGI ADITYA NATH AND SHRI JASVANTSINH  SUMANBHAI  BHABHOR  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK SABHA  ON  27.04.2016  REGARDING  MODERNISATION  OF  RAILWAY

HOSPITALS (a)  Yes,  Madam.  The  existing  medical  facilities  available  in  railway hospitals are considered to be adequate. Further, review of facilities as per requirement  is  done  regularly  through  infrastructural  upgradation  of  logistics  and  infrastructure  by  implementation  of  Works Programme and Procurement of Machinery and Plants. (b) to (d) The facilities available and quality of service being provided by Railway hospitals is considered adequate and they are functioning to  the  satisfaction  of  railway  medical  beneficiaries  both  serving  and retired, their spouse and eligible dependents. As regards availability of doctors  in  Railway  Hospitals,  Indian  Railway  Medical  Service  (IRMS) Cadre  consists  of  only  General  Duty  Medical  Officers.  Specialist Doctors  recruited  through  the  cadre  are  being  best  utilized for providing  specialized  medical  care  to  the  railway  beneficiaries.  The vacancies,  wherever  arisen,  are  regularly  filled  up  by  recruitment through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) or by deployment of Contract  Medical  Practitioners  (CMPs)  on  annual  contract  basis.  For filling up short term vacancies of specialists, doctors are also engaged as Honorary Visiting Specialists (HVSs) and by calling consultants on case to case basis. Similarly vacancies of paramedical staff are being filled  up  through  recruitments  conducted  by  Railway  Recruitment Boards (RRBs) or on annual contract basis. (e) Up-gradation and modernization of Railway Hospitals is an on-going continuous process undertaken on the basis of conditions of existing equipments/ techniques, technological developments, training of medical and  para-medical personnel through Continuous  Medical Education and Training Programmes.

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