The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) plans to place certain criteria for the health eligibility of elderly citizens who travel on their package tours, as they fear health-related complications for such passengers while undertaking the journey.
Nearly 12,000 commuters travel in the various package tours conducted by the IRCTC’s West Zone every year. In the past, there have been six instances of people dying while on tour. Many also fall ill while their existing medical condition worsens during the journey, which may turn out to be hazardous.
A senior official form IRCTC said, “We do not want to discourage senior citizens from availing our package tours. However, there has to be some method in place to ensure that commuters who are unfit, do not travel at the risk of their health.”
Among the measures under consideration, one is to insist that passengers above 60 years present a medical declaration that they are fit to undertake the journey. Moreover, they should also declare that they are carrying all the medicines that will be sufficient to last till the completion of the journey.
The undertaking will have to be approved by a qualified doctor, besides explicitly declaring that the IRCTC should not be held responsible for his/her medical health.
The official further said, “Many a times, senior citizens, who are above 70 years travel alone, especially for package tours that cover pilgrimage towns. We may insist that a relatively younger passenger, who may be an acquaintance or a relative, accompany those passengers that fall in this age bracket. This clause will help the senior citizen emotionally, and will not cause panic in case they fall ill during the journey.”
The IRCTC official insisted that their team members have been equal to the task in case of any medical emergency. He pointed out, “In the past, the medically unfit passengers have been dropped off at the next station and even taken to a hospital. They also take utmost care of the patient in the absence of relatives.”
The IRCTC has already advertised free travel and complimentary passes for a
companion to lure doctors on board Bharat Darshan and Bharat Tirth package tours.
These doctors will not be charged a single paisa, but they will have to attend to any commuters who reports sick during the journey. These doctors will provide even the commuters the treatment free of cost.