M A I N   N E W S

Army train enters Guinness book
By Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 13 — An Army medical train which traversed the country some time back has chugged its way into the Guinness Book of Records for undertaking the longest rail journey in the world.

Over a period of five months, the train, christened “Dhanvantri”, had traversed about 10,000 km and rendered medical treatment to a total of 32,000 ex-servicemen at various locations en route.

An Army Headquarters spokesman, when contacted, said the certificate in this regard was received here last month.

“Dhanvantri”, implying “hospital on wheels”, was flagged off from New Delhi on August 16, 1997, by the then Chief of Army Staff, Gen Shankar Roychoudhuary, to commemorate the golden jubilee of India’s independence. The name of the train has its origins in a mythological character who was said to have brought some life-saving “amrit” to people in distress.

The train returned to New Delhi on January 13, 1998, on the eve of Army Day.

The fully air-conditioned train had a complement varying from seven to 10 doctors from the Army Medical Corps, two lady officers from the Military Nursing Services and 50 other ranks, including nursing assistants.

Specialists were also drawn from various military hospitals en route. All types of specialists were made available from hospitals and medicines were issued free of cost. Except for the railway crew, only medical personnel travelled on the special train.

Steaming-off from New Delhi, the train passed through 11 states, halting at 24 remote stations to treat ex-servicemen settled there. It touched towns like Jaisalmer, Marwar, Sholapur, Dharangadaya, Kolapur, Hubli, Mysore, Salem, Dalghat, Uttal, Ongole, Vijayawada, Cuttack, Balasore, Katihar, Brauni, Ballia and Rae Barelli. The highest number of patients treated at one station was 1800.

While there was no fixed officer in charge of the journey, the senior medical officer present executed this duty.

The planning, coordination and execution of the journey had been done by the Additional Directorate-General, Movements, at Army Headquarters in collaboration with Indian Railways, medical staff and field formations based along the route.