Railway officials claim that CM’s office has been denying them appointment to discuss key issues

 

Blame game has started post Roha train tragedy which occurred on Sunday killing over 19 passengers and injuring more than 100 when the engine and four coaches of the train derailed in Raigarh district of the state.

This triggered cold war between the State Government and the Railways over the lack of ambulance availability and better medical facilities provided to the accident victims. SK Sood, General Manager, Central Railway rued, “There were only four ambulances with us.” Paucity of medical infrastructure has caused a great deal of consternation.

When asked about using private hospitals services to treat the victims post such accidents, the railway authorities’ claim, “We have been asking for at least 6 months now, but the CM’s office has not given us an appointment to discuss the key issues which include improving medical facilities after any railway accident.”

According to another senior Central Railway staff, “Post accidents when victims are taken to private hospitals, they are either turned away or directed to a civic or a state run hospital which are often very far away from the accident sites. Had the state government intervened, the issue could have been resolved.”

Lack of coordination between the railways and the state government has caused great inconvenience to even those who were not injured but remain stranded at the accident sites.

According to railway officials, despite repeated attempts, an appointment with the Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan has yet not been confirmed.

Although Health Minister Suresh Shetty claims that the state government is in the process of introducing 400 new ambulances in the following days to come.