Lacks lifts, escalators, emergency medical booth
Senior citizens, regardless of whether they are lame, limping or sickly, are forced to trudge up the steep stairs to reach the platforms.
COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore railway junction has been graded an A1 station by the Railways, but it turns out to be the unfriendliest to the elderly passengers who flock the station every day.
Senior citizens, regardless of whether they are lame, limping or sickly, are forced to trudge up the steep stairs to reach the platforms. Or, their relatives have to carry the elderly up the stairs. For, there is no lift for the elderly passengers to reach the platforms. The lone battery operated car plies only on the platforms.
“I visit my daughter in Shornur frequently and take the Thrissur fast passenger train. And every time, I come to the station, I end up with severe knee pain. Why can’t the Railways install a lift or escalator for senior citizens like us?” rues, 65-year-old C.Shantha as she staggers up the stairs to reach the platform no. six.
Worse still, in case of emergency, there is no medical booth too to assist the elderly passengers.
Even the smaller Karur station has a medical emergency booth. The neighbouring Erode and Salem stations, too, have a doctor, nurse and medical booths. "A medical doctor died a year ago at the station because of lack of first aid. A medical booth has to be set up at the station," says former Coimbatore MP, P.R.Natarajan.
The Coimbatore railway station generates Rs 142 Crore of revenue per annum with more than 66 trains passing through the station every day. Around 30,000 passengers throng the station every day. Yet, the Coimbatore junction remains the unfriendliest to the elderly and the disabled passengers.
The platforms five and six at the station do not have proper roofing, sufficient chairs, toilet, lift or escalator. The Coimbatore-Myladuthurai Janshatabdi, Mangalore-Coimbatore Intercity express, Nagercoil passenger and seven other trains halt at those two platforms. But a digital display of arrival and departure of trains have not been done here yet, making it very inconvenient for the passengers.
When contacted, the Southern Railway Salem divisional Public Relations officer, G.V. Venkatesan told the DC, “Emergency medical booth is a long time proposal, we are talking to many private hospitals, but no one is coming forward. Railway board will provide space to set up a booth, private hospitals can display their hospital name and should provide a duty doctor and nurse.”
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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