Food poisoning aboard ‘Bharat Gaurav’ train, emergency stop in Pune after passengers complain of diarrhoea and vomiting

Confirming the incident, Pune Divisional Railway Manager Indu Rani Dubey said the Pune division was informed that some passengers of the Bharat Gaurav train reaching the station were having symptoms of food poisoning and arrangements should be made at the Pune railway station to provide them emergency medical facilities.

“Accordingly, our medical team, as well as those from Ruby Hall Clinic, where we have an emergency medical room, reached the station. When the train arrived, people who had suffered diarrhoea and vomiting and showed any other symptoms were attended to. They were given medical attention. The bathrooms of the train were cleaned. The train later departed with the instruction that the passengers be checked upon at the Kalyan railway station,” said Dubey.

Doctors with Ruby Hall Clinic said three doctors and six paramedical staff reached platform number 2 along with railway hospital staff and authorities. The train arrived at 11:36 pm on platform number 2.

Team members of Ruby Hall Clinic railway hospital and Sassoon General Hospital examined a total of 99 patients. The doctors said all patients were clinically stable and treated with ORS solution antiemetic, antacid, antispasmodic, antibiotics, and others.

Dr Sujay Patil, head of the emergency medicine department, told The Indian Express that a team of 10-12 doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff reached the station. “My concern was to stabilise the patients who had nausea with few suffering bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting,” Dr Patil added.

According to Ali Daruwala, adviser to Ruby Hall Clinic, ambulances from Ruby Hall Clinic and railway hospital were kept ready at Pune station to transport patients to hospitals if required.

“After confirming with all the teams treating patients inside the train and on the platform that there were no more passengers requiring medical aid, all passengers were allowed to proceed by the same train. The train departed from Pune railway station at 12.28 am. The railway authorities appreciated Ruby Hall Clinic’s efforts,” Daruwala said.

Harsha Shah, an activist who heads the Railway Pravasi Group, said the quality of food services aboard the trains had suffered lately, and the Tuesday night incident was a warning sign.

“The catering contractors provide very poor quality food aboard the trains and since passengers have taken a package including meals, they are left with no option but to eat the food. Apparently, some IRCTC officials deployed aboard the trains are supposed to inspect the food before it’s served in the train but contractors keep them happy and provide substandard services to passengers,” said Shah.

She demanded that strict action should be taken against the catering contractors as well as IRCTC officials who were in charge of supervision.