Lifeline Express, touted to be the world’s first hospital-train, started in 1991 to provide medical aid and relief to far-flung and inaccessible areas, completed 25 years (on18july )of its operation. The train, a flagship project of Impact India Foundation and the Indian Railways, has travelled the length and breadth of the country, the Foundation’s Trustee and Chairman Ramesh Sarin said .
- The train is equipped with a state-of-the-art operation theatre and has surgeons on board who have performed surgeries on cleft lips and polio affected limbs, Sarin said, adding, “Cataract removals have been done apart from providing healthcare facilities in rural areas.”
- The train does not have its own blood bank which hinders its medical operations a bit, but the administration is contemplating to have a tie-up with local blood banks.
About Lifeline Express:
- The Lifeline Express or Jeevan Rekha Express is World’s first hospital train run by the Impact India Foundation. It was developed in collaboration with the Indian Railways and Health Ministry and has been funded by Impact UK, international charitable sources, Indian corporate houses and individuals.
- It started on 16 July 1991; as of 2010 the service had completed almost 120 projects, benefiting over 600,000 rural Indians.
- The Lifeline express was started to provide on-the-spot diagnostic, medical and advanced surgical treatment for preventive and curative interventions for disabled adults and children for outreach into inaccessible rural areas where medical services are not available.
- The New Lifeline express was given by the Indian Railways in 2007 has five coaches. The first coach is power car which also have staff compartment and pantry area.
- So far, the train covered 173 projects in 18 state and also covered 2 lakh kilometres distance and has medically served more than 10,00,000 poor in rural India.
