How this railway officer transformed abandoned coach into India’s first mobile hospital in Maharashtra’s Bhusawal

Image used for representative purpose only.

In the railway town of Bhusawal, tucked away in Maharashtra’s Khandesh region, Ity Pandey, the then Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), launched 'Rudra', a 'hospital on wheels' to provide healthcare access to remote railway workers and their families.

According to a report by The Better India, while the railway town is well-connected by tracks, healthcare remains out of reach for many.

This initiative repurposes an old railway coach into a mobile medical facility, bringing healthcare to railway workers and their families, who previously lacked easy access due to their isolated locations. Rudra offers essential medical care and is planned to expand services to include ophthalmology and dentistry in a second coach, serving as a vital lifeline in a community where the railway is central to its way of life.

“I conceived the idea of a ‘hospital on wheels’ because we wanted to provide medical aid to our injured employees. With more than 25,000 railway workers and their families spread across vast, remote areas, many did not have access to the essential healthcare or timely diagnoses needed to prevent worsening health issues. The remoteness of these areas, coupled with the shortage of medical professionals, aggravated the problem,” Pandey was quoted by The Better India as saying.

Rudra, the ‘hospital on wheels,’ houses a 3-AC coach. This mobile hospital rolls across remote railway divisions every fortnight. From health check-ups to specialist consultations, it ensures that those working tirelessly on the tracks get the healthcare they deserve.

But turning this ambitious idea into a reality was not an easy task. “Getting the mechanical department to release an old coach proved to be a difficult duty in the beginning,” recalls the Divisional Railway manager. “These coaches are crucial for emergencies, but I knew that this initiative would have a long-term positive impact on the health of our workers. Once the department understood the broader benefits, we got the green signal to proceed,” recalls Pandey, who assumed charge as the Principal Chief Commercial Manager (PCCM) of the South Central Railway (SCR), in Hyderabad, last month.

Once approval was granted, an old coach was dispatched from the Matunga Central Railway workshop in Mumbai to Bhusawal. Later, the old 3-AC train coach was renovated into a fully functional mobile medical unit. The skilled workshop staff in Bhusawal worked tirelessly to equip it with all the necessary medical facilities, ensuring it could deliver healthcare services wherever needed.

The first camp was held on January 18 at Chalisgaon, followed by another at Murtizapur on January 30. Building on the success of the first camp, Rudra continues to hold regular medical camps. The Rudra medical team is made up of around 60 dedicated doctors.