With no decline in number of train accidents,the porters who carry the bodies or the injured to nearby hospitals were given basic tips on how to handle the victims. The training,which was undertaken by Radhee Foundation on Sunday at Kandivli,saw 65 porters and 13 stations masters attending the programme. In case of railway accidents,though the railway police examine the dead/injured,it is the hamals who pick them up and rush them to nearest station and later to a hospital. The first few minutes are extremely crucial for the victims as any delay could lead to amputations or death. Many a time,porters lack the basic knowledge of handling the injured. The hamals were taught about types of injures and the way they should be treated. The main reason for deaths is loss of blood due to various injuries. For example,head injury needs different kind of first aid and has to be nursed in a different way, said Dr Rita Savla,the director of the Radhee Foundation. The foundation has also trained Government Railway Police personnel on how to deal with such cases. They were also taught on how to deal with amputations due to the accident. In such cases,the amputated part has to be collected in a plastic bag filled with ice. The amputated part should be kept vertically so that the blood loss is minimal. The amputated part can be restructured if the surgery is done within four hours of the accident, added Savla. The programme would definitely help the hamals and railway officials in dealing with accident related cases more effectively, said Shyam Sunder Gupta,chief spokesperson of Western Railway (WR).
