‘The Magical Train’ - The Original Hospital Train Reaching the Unreachable, Providing Excellent Healthcare to Rural India
India’s medical service industry is an emerging force in Southeast Asia, which should be recognized. A large portion of the country’s GDP is being earned through this sector. Paradoxically, India’s rural sphere has always been highly deprived of medical facilities even in rudimentary level. This huge imbalance was previously an issue for India to reach to a footing through innovation. India still being a developing country has majority of people living in rural areas where quality healthcare is not only difficult to avail but sometimes even hard to access. In such circumstances,
In the southern part of Asia—the country famous for its cultural variety and sports involvement—India is essentially facing several challenges in maintaining quality life standards all over the country. The people of India do face challenges in terms of economic well-being, safety, and most importantly proper healthcare. To improve the quality of healthcare it is important to meet the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. India is unable to ensure quality healthcare throughout the nation. Nevertheless, it is endeavouring relentlessly to become a nation where healthcare services reach to people all around the country.
India is currently the world’s seventh largest country in terms of area and the second most populated country. With a population of approximately 1.3 billion, roughly 67% of the public still resides in rural areas. There is a colossal difference in the quality of life between the urban and rural residents.
This article examines the case of India’s innovative response to the challenge of healthcare needs for people in rural areas, with the creation of the Lifeline Express (LLE), the world’s first hospital train that travels all over rural India to bring free medical treatment to the neglected poor.
The deficit and insufficiency of medical professionals have immobilized the rural healthcare establishments. With a scant 3% doctors living in rural areas and 35% residing in semi-urban areas, a significant portion of the population suffers due to the unavailability of doctors. Unfortunately, there exist only 1 million doctors to give treatment to a population of 1.3 billion.
This case illustrates how the train and the medical team function and will show the limitations and challenges healthcare in India is facing and how LLE has proved its fantastic ability to fight with the constraints and make healthcare reach the doorsteps of the rural people. Despite the challenges and limitations, it is revealed how the journey of LLE has grown from a three-coach train to seven-coach train where patients get treatment of many diseases from the early 1990s to this day.
LLE is also known as ‘The Magical Train’ because of its remarkable success in providing medical services in remote areas where formerly it seemed impossible to get healthcare. The Magic Train of India has certainly created an outstanding example for the world to watch. Following its success, other countries have also created their own wonders for medical advances. Starting with only three coaches now the train has a total of seven deserves a global recognition especially if India wants to tackle its situation in a dire time like now with the COVID-19 outbreak!
Starting with only three coaches now the train has a total of seven coaches serving a variety of medical treatments. The train is reaching the unreachable areas with excellent healthcare since 1991, there have been a few other countries who have also undertaken such projects through railways. To exemplify, China in 1997, came up with a rainbow painted train called ‘Eye Train’ which provided cataract surgery and later introduced more train lines to cater to medical facilities. There are also the Phelophepa trains in South Africa which provide general health, dental and eye checks, visiting up to 70 remote rural communities annually. Two more trains traverse the Russian Federation, one of which is the Saint Lukas train, which travels through the vast regions of Krasnoyarsk and Khakassia for 10 months every year (WHO, 2020). None of these trains originated as government-funded programs, all were established as philanthropic or corporate initiatives. However, one thing is for sure, India over the last three decades have redesigned, developed, and refurnished the LLE in every aspect and being the first mover in this sector, Lifeline Express certainly.
Article details:
Lifeline Express: Hospital Train in Rural India
Jashim Uddin Ahmed, Saima Siddiqui, Asma Ahmed, Kazi Pushpita Mim
First Published May 11, 2021
DOI: 10.1177/2516604220977243
Emerging Economies Cases Journal