mid day editorial: We need to put a premium on human life

Diva station is still devoid of a basic, life-saving facility - an ambulance for victims of Railway accidents. A report in this paper stated that the Thane GRP alleged that railway authorities are aware of the lack of an ambulance.

The report also stated that Diva witnessed over 100 rail-related accidents in the last six months. While the injured of, course, need medical care, one can only feel the pain of families who have lost their loved ones in rail accidents. After the shock of seeing or hearing about a loved one's death, their trauma is compounded by the fact that there was no ambulance to take the body. There is no dignity is death as relatives have to scramble and beg for a facility to take the body from the station. This is inexcusable.

The Railways need to pay private hospitals that provide ambulances. Some private hospitals who used to provide ambulances claimed they have stopped because the Railways has not paid them. This is shameful and we need immediate accountability when it comes to this aspect.

It is shocking to hear answers from officials who were questioned in the report, saying that they would get an ambulance soon. This is an attempt to paper a grievous lapse and vacuum. Listening to the answers, one gets a feeling that there is an attempt to gloss over or deflect the question, without revealing a proper time frame for procuring the ambulances.

Talking about bullet trains and seamless travel within cities is hollow if we do not put a premium on human life in our commuting network. Western countries marry hi-tech travel with an absolute sanctity for human life and limb on their commuting networks. That is what makes one a new age, complete commuting arm. Emergency amenities are much more important than shouting about advances in travel. Let us get our priorities right.

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