Lifeline Express is the world’s first hospital-train.
Established in 1991, the train has travelled the length and breadth of the country, bringing medical aid and relief to the most far-flung, inaccessible areas. So far the service has benefitted 800,000 people by mid-2013, restoring sight, movement, hearing and correction of cleft lips with dental and neurological treatment and more, completely free of charge. With two state-of-the-art operating theatres, recovery rooms, offices and accommodation, each project requires a team of volunteer doctors, surgeons and nurses to give their services for free. For four weeks, cameras followed the project as operations were carried out on poor rural people while the train stood at Mandsor station in the middle of India, in Madhya Pradesh, in blistering pre-monsoon heat.
Dramatic situations occur when violent protests in Rajasthan block trains in the region and surgeons have difficulties to get to Mandsor. Painful scenes when a person in need cannot get help because their physical situation doesn’t allow an operation, humbling moments when patients speak about their ailments and their eyes reflect so much trust and hope. Thousands of patients with their families travel from far to meet up with the train; yet it is not possible to help them all.
Credit to Sitara
Comments are closed.