Projects

National Railway & Metro Janaushadhi Healthcare Network Project

A Proposed Public-Health Initiative of                                                                             the All India Rail Safety Council (AIRSC)

The National Railway and Metro Station Janaushadhi Healthcare Network Initiative is envisioned as a transformative public-welfare programme designed to strengthen affordable healthcare access, passenger medical assistance, emergency preparedness and occupational health support across India’s railway and metro transport ecosystem. Proposed by the All India Rail Safety Council (AIRSC), the initiative seeks to explore the establishment of a coordinated network of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs), Railway Health Support Centres, Emergency Medical Assistance Units and Passenger Healthcare Facilitation Services at suitable railway stations, metro stations, suburban rail locations and multimodal transport hubs, subject to statutory approvals and collaboration with the competent authorities.

Vision

The vision of the project is to develop an accessible, dependable and technology-enabled transport-linked healthcare network through which passengers, railway and metro personnel, senior citizens, women, persons with disabilities, economically vulnerable groups and nearby communities may obtain affordable quality generic medicines, first-aid assistance, emergency medical support, preventive-health guidance and timely referrals. By placing essential healthcare services closer to high-footfall public-transport locations, the initiative aims to make every journey safer, more reassuring and more responsive to the health needs of the travelling public.

The Need for a Transport-Linked Healthcare Network

India’s railway and metro systems serve very large and diverse passenger populations every day. Major terminals, junctions, divisional headquarters, suburban corridors, metro interchanges and multimodal hubs regularly accommodate travellers of different ages, health conditions and mobility requirements. Within such environments, medical needs can range from minor illness, dehydration and injuries to cardiac events, complications related to chronic diseases and other time-sensitive emergencies. Passengers may also require routine medicines while travelling, while employees working in operational, technical and public-facing roles benefit from structured occupational-health support.

The proposed network seeks to respond to these realities through a planned healthcare presence at strategically selected transport locations. Affordable medicines, trained healthcare personnel, first-aid facilities, telemedicine access, emergency equipment and established referral pathways can collectively improve response readiness, reduce avoidable delays in assistance and strengthen public confidence in the safety and inclusiveness of rail-based travel.

Proposed National Coverage

The initiative may be progressively developed at major railway stations, important junction stations, divisional-headquarters stations, suburban railway networks, metro stations in major cities and integrated multimodal transport hubs. Priority locations may be identified through passenger footfall, distance from nearby hospitals, emergency-response requirements, station category, regional healthcare needs, operational feasibility and the availability of supporting infrastructure. This evidence-based approach would allow resources to be directed first towards locations where passenger and employee healthcare services can produce the greatest public benefit.

Passenger Healthcare and Public Welfare

Passenger welfare is at the centre of the proposed programme. Healthcare units may facilitate access to affordable generic medicines, basic first aid, emergency medical assistance, health information, teleconsultation and referral support. Special attention may be given to elderly passengers, pregnant women, children, persons with disabilities, individuals with chronic medical conditions and travellers requiring immediate assistance. Clear information, trained personnel and accessible facilities would help create a more compassionate travel environment in which passengers can seek help promptly and with dignity.

Where operationally and legally feasible, the network may also support nearby communities by improving access to essential medicines and preventive-health information. This wider public-health role can help reduce medicine expenditure, encourage responsible healthcare-seeking behaviour and extend the social value of transport infrastructure beyond mobility alone.

Railway and Metro Employee Healthcare

The initiative may complement existing authorised medical systems by facilitating occupational-health awareness, periodic screening support, preventive-health programmes and appropriate referrals for railway, metro, contractual and allied personnel. Employees working in safety-sensitive, shift-based, technical and physically demanding environments may particularly benefit from health education and screening initiatives related to fatigue, stress, lifestyle diseases, vision, hearing and general fitness. Any medical examination, fitness certification or statutory assessment would remain subject to the rules of the competent employer and authorised medical authorities.

Emergency Medical Preparedness

Emergency readiness is a key component of the proposed model. Selected centres may maintain trained responders, first-aid equipment, emergency medicines, Automated External Defibrillators, communication systems and clearly defined escalation protocols. Integration with station control rooms, ambulance providers, railway or metro hospitals, district hospitals and local emergency services may support faster coordination during medical incidents, major accidents, crowd-related emergencies or disasters. Regular drills, equipment inspections, replenishment controls and clinical-governance procedures would be essential to maintaining dependable readiness.

Proposed Three-Tier Infrastructure Model

At the highest level, Tier-I Mega Railway Healthcare Centres may be considered for major national and regional terminals. Subject to feasibility and approval, these centres could include a Janaushadhi Kendra, round-the-clock medical room, telemedicine facility, emergency observation capacity, ambulance coordination, basic diagnostic support and secure digital-health record systems. Indicative cities for feasibility assessment may include New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Secunderabad/Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Patna; final station selection would be determined only in consultation with the relevant authorities.

Tier-II Junction Station Healthcare Centres may serve important junctions and high-footfall regional stations through a compact Janaushadhi outlet, first-aid unit, telemedicine kiosk and emergency-response desk. These centres would be designed to provide essential assistance within a smaller physical footprint while maintaining effective referral and escalation links.

Tier-III Metro Station Healthcare Units may be developed at selected metro interchanges and other suitable urban locations. A standard unit could include a compact medicine counter, emergency medical kit, Automated External Defibrillator, passenger-health information facility and a direct communication pathway to nearby hospitals and ambulance services. The final configuration at every tier should be guided by local risk, passenger volume, space, regulation and clinical requirements.

Phased Implementation Strategy

A carefully governed pilot phase may initially assess implementation at up to 100 major railway stations and 20 metro interchange stations over approximately 12 months. The pilot should evaluate passenger demand, medicine availability, clinical protocols, staffing, digital systems, emergency-response time, financial viability and public satisfaction. Independent review of pilot outcomes would provide the evidence required to refine service standards before expansion.

Subject to successful evaluation, approvals and resource availability, a second phase may extend the model to approximately 500 railway stations and 100 metro stations over a further 24-month period. A longer-term third phase, potentially implemented over 36 to 60 months, may progressively cover major railway stations and metro networks across India. Expansion should remain outcome-based, financially responsible and responsive to local healthcare needs.

Digital Healthcare Integration

Digital systems can play an important role in delivering consistent and accountable services. The proposed network may incorporate secure digital prescriptions, QR-based medicine verification, electronic records, telemedicine consultations, inventory monitoring, mobile health information, emergency alerts and management dashboards. Carefully governed AI-enabled assistance may be explored for non-diagnostic functions such as multilingual guidance, symptom-routing support and service navigation, always under qualified professional oversight.

All digital services should follow applicable requirements relating to patient consent, privacy, cybersecurity, data minimisation, access control, audit trails and records retention. Health data should be collected only for a lawful and clearly defined purpose, protected through appropriate technical and organisational safeguards, and accessed solely by authorised personnel.

Employment, Skills and Capacity Development

The network has the potential to generate meaningful direct and indirect employment for pharmacists, medical officers, nurses, health assistants, telemedicine operators, emergency medical technicians, ambulance personnel, data-support staff, supply-chain professionals and facility-management teams. Earlier project estimates indicate a potential for approximately 25,000 to 50,000 direct opportunities and more than 100,000 indirect opportunities at mature national scale; these figures are preliminary projections and would require validation through detailed feasibility and workforce studies.

AIRSC may also support structured capacity-building programmes in passenger first aid, emergency communication, medicine management, disability inclusion, public-health awareness, digital systems, privacy, infection control and disaster response. Standardised training, competency assessment and periodic refresher programmes would be essential to ensuring reliable service quality across locations.

Sustainable Financial and Partnership Model

The project may explore a blended and transparent financial model combining revenue from authorised medicine sales, approved diagnostic services, health-screening programmes and telemedicine facilities with support from eligible public schemes, corporate social responsibility initiatives, public-sector institutions, healthcare organisations and development-finance partners. Affordability and public service should remain central to the operating model, supported by defined service standards, transparent accounting and appropriate audits.

AIRSC may seek structured collaboration, as appropriate, with the Ministry of Railways, Railway Board, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India, metro rail corporations, state governments, public health institutions, railway and government hospitals, accredited healthcare providers and other competent bodies. Any partnership, site allocation, branding, pharmacy operation or clinical service would proceed only through formal approval and clearly documented roles and responsibilities.

Governance, Quality and Risk Management

Strong governance would be fundamental to the credibility and sustainability of the programme. AIRSC may consider establishing a dedicated National Railway Healthcare Mission Cell to coordinate feasibility studies, stakeholder engagement, standards, pilot implementation, monitoring and reporting. A multidisciplinary National Railway Health and Medical Advisory Committee comprising qualified experts in medicine, pharmacy, emergency care, public health, railway operations, accessibility, disaster management, law, finance, technology and cybersecurity may provide professional guidance.

The operating framework should address medicine supply continuity, stock-out prevention, quality assurance, licence compliance, patient safety, emergency surge capacity, cyber risk, data protection, waste disposal, infection control and business continuity. Central inventory visibility, multiple approved supply channels, disaster-recovery arrangements, clinical audits, incident reporting and periodic independent review may help mitigate these risks. Each participating facility should operate under applicable pharmaceutical, clinical, labour, safety and local regulatory requirements.

Strategic Direction

The initiative recommends a unified national service framework with locally adaptable operating standards. Every major station may be assessed for an appropriately scaled Railway Health Support Centre integrated, where feasible, with an authorised Janaushadhi outlet. Metro networks may consider common passenger-healthcare and emergency-response protocols, while telemedicine facilities may be linked with authorised railway, government or district hospitals. Emergency medicines and life-saving equipment at designated high-footfall locations should be supported by trained personnel, routine inspections and clear referral arrangements.

National Development Alignment

The proposed initiative is intended to be aligned with national development and public-health priorities, including Viksit Bharat 2047, Ayushman Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Digital India, the National Health Mission and broader objectives relating to universal healthcare access, resilient infrastructure and passenger safety. Such alignment does not, by itself, imply endorsement, affiliation or financial commitment by any ministry, railway organisation, metro corporation or government agency. Formal participation would be subject to consultation, approval and applicable legal and administrative procedures.

Institutional Commitment

The National Railway and Metro Janaushadhi Healthcare Network Project represents an opportunity to connect mobility infrastructure with affordable medicines, emergency readiness and inclusive public-health support. By responsibly leveraging the reach of railway and metro systems, the initiative could contribute to a safer travel environment, better occupational-health awareness and more accessible healthcare for passengers and surrounding communities.

AIRSC envisions this programme as a professionally governed, partnership-driven and socially responsible contribution towards safer railways and a healthier India. Its success would depend upon regulatory compliance, qualified healthcare delivery, transparent partnerships, robust technology, careful evaluation and an unwavering commitment to human dignity and public welfare.

Every Passenger Safe • Every Journey Secure • Every Citizen Healthy