Tata Steel takes Lifeline Express — Hospital on Rails to remote villages in Jharkhand
November 29, 2005

Tata Steel in collaboration with Government of Jharkhand, Indian Railways and Impact India Foundation will be hosting Lifeline Express at Sini Railway Station in Seraikela-Kharswan district in the State of Jharkhand from December 14, 2005 to January 12, 2006.

Tata Steel, with its commitment towards improving the quality of life of the communities it serves, has been a prime collaborator with the Impact India Foundation for the Lifeline Express. The first such collaboration was in 1991 and since then it has been organised nine times by Tata Steel. The Lifeline Express when hosted at Seraikela-Kharswan district this year will be the tenth such hospital by the company and the sixth in the State of Jharkhand.

The Lifeline Express, the world's first hospital on a train, for outreach into inaccessible rural areas where medical services are scarcely available offers on-the-spot diagnostic, medical and advanced surgical treatment for preventive and curative interventions for the handicapped, using the Indian Railway Network. The Lifeline Express was started on July 16, 1991 with the noble belief that people in rural remote villages should not, through neglect or ignorance, become disabled, crippled or suffer from poor quality of health and thus be deprived of health, productivity and joy. It also aimed to enable disabled persons especially in rural India have access to medical services wherever they may be.

Over 400,000 Indians have so far benefited from the remarkable train as major surgeries have been performed to restore movement, hearing, sight and correction of clefts. In fact, taking note of the benefits several other countries have come forward to start their Lifeline Express.

The services offered in the Lifeline Express are:

• Restoration of movement to polio and orthopaedically affected persons by surgery and provision of calipers;
• Restoration of sight through cataract operations and providing intra ocular lenses;
• Restoration of hearing through surgery and supply of hearing aids;
• Correction of clefts through surgery;
• Counselling and referral services;
• Follow-up of patients' progress through arrangements with local authorities;
• Preventive services in the form of immunisation, administration of nutrients, and creating health awareness among the deprived in the neglected rural and semi-urban areas;
• Opportunity provided to medical and other voluntary personnel to work in a unique field situation;
• Teaching surgeons, working in smaller towns, the finer skills of micro-surgery ;
• Training health workers, doctors and other non-government organisation's on various health issues.

The Lifeline Express is committed to combat the appalling loss of productive life and economic potential of the disabled.