Commuter dies as golden hour lost due to aid delay Co-Passengers Took Woman From Andheri To Distant Palghar

Mumbai: Unable to grasp the seriousness of the injuries sustained by Sudaivi Meher when she slipped into the gap between train and platform at Andheri station on Monday evening, her fellow commuters pulled her on to the train and decided to head for familiar Palghar just over an hour away for treatment. 

    Unfortunately, her condition worsened and she succumbed to her injuries around midnight. 
    "Meher had lost around three to four litres of blood by the time she reached the hospital. It was difficult to control her blood flow and her condition worsened. She should have been moved to a hospital in Andheri," said Dr Prakash Gudsoorkar of the Palghar hospital where she was taken to. 
    Meher, 35, who worked at an imitation jewellery factory in Goregaon, took the Surat-bound Flying Ranee Express from Andheri daily. Around 6.20pm on Monday, as the Flying Ranee was moving into platform 4, Meher tried to board the crowded women's compartment. She slipped and fell into the gap, but the train had halted by then. 
    Her cousin Mrunali Choudhary and co-commuters pulled her out as there was no GRP or RPF personnel around to help. Choudhary has said in a statement that Meher's injuries to her waist and legs did not seem too serious, so they decided to carry her home to Satpati in Palghar by the same train. 
    Soon Meher, who was conscious through the journey, started bleeding. As Borivli station passed, her condition worsened. The passengers dialled the Palghar GRP, who kept an ambulance ready. Meher was rushed to Philia Hospital from Palghar station, said senior inspector Shivaji Shinde, Andheri GRP. Acase of accidental death has been registered. 
    Dr Gudsoorkar said the crucial golden hour (after any accident) had been wasted and Meher arrived in hospital in a non-survival condition with multiple fractures on the pelvis and spine. Around midnight, she was being moved to another hospital when she suffered a cardiac arrest and died. 
    "Meher's family has not made allegations of callousness against railway officials or cops in their statement to us," said GRP's Shinde. Western Railway officials claimed the incident was not reported to either the station master or guard of the train. 
HOSPS ABOUND IN ANDHERI 
WHAT SHOULD'VE BEEN DONE 
    Somebody should have alerted the station master/railway police/ train guard 
    Meher should have been rushed to nearest hospital. Andheri has several with good facilities (see map below) WAS ANYBODY ALERTED? 
    Victim's cousin travelling with her said they could not find a policeman on the platform 
    WR spokesperson said neither was the station master alerted, nor was guard aware of the incident 
WHAT HAPPENED 
    Sudaivi Meher, 35, tries to board the crowded ladies compartment (Churchgate end) as the Surat-bound Flying Ranee arrives at platform 4 of Andheri station around 6.20pm on Monday 
    She loses balance, slips into the gap between train and platform, sustains injuries to wait and legs 
    Fellow passengers pull her out, but the train is about to leave 
    People she commutes with daily fail to fathom the seriousness of her injuries. Pull her on to train, continue to Palghar 
    As the train crosses Borivli, Meher's condition worsens 
    Commuters alert Palghar station for ambulance RAILWAY PROTOCOL FOR EMERGENCIES 
Station master has to be informed about accidents or commuters taking ill by the victim or his kin, co-passenger, motorman, police, passer-by 
    Station master has access to stretchers, first-aid box, wheelchair, etc. Only after an accident memo is issued does GRP take the victim to hospital. A station master rarely goes to the accident spot himself 
    Accident victims ideally should be shifted to nearest private/govt hospital within the 'golden hour' 
    As directed by the Bombay HC (in 2006) railways should pay private hospital bills too 
    In cases of trespassing, station masters alerted by motorman's honkingFACILITIES AVAILABLE AT STATIONS 
First aid, stretchers, wheelchairs at every station 
WR has deployed ambulances at 8 stations | Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Grant Road, Lower Parel, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri & Borivli 
HELPLINE NOS Central Railway | 1275 Western Railway | 1311 GRP | 9833331111