The second special train ferrying stranded CMC Hospital patients and their attendants reached Hatia from Katpadi railway junction in Vellore district. The train which started its journey on Friday late evening took more than 36 hours in reaching Ranchi. The train from Vellore having 22 coaches ferried 1138 passengers mostly patients and their caregivers who had gone for treatment at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. This is the second train to reach Hatia from Vellore as on Friday first train from Vellore reached Hatia.
Apart from train from Vellore carrying patients and their caregivers, another train mostly with migrant workers also reached Hatia from Bangalore. Around 1000 migrant workers from Bangalore and other districts of Karnataka also reached Hatia. Meanwhile, the district administration had made elaborate arrangements for patients and migrant workers reaching Jharkhand.
The patients and their attendants were waiting to return to their home district after they were stuck for one and a half months due to lockdown necessitated to break the coronavirus chain. The Vellore district administration had arranged free food for them, besides facilitating their continued stay in lodges/mansions at subsidized rental charges.
Meanwhile, the Ranchi district administration too had made elaborate arrangements for patients and caregivers, migrant workers for their return to Ranchi. At Hatia station, the Ranchi district administration welcomed the patients and attendants by presenting them rose.
As the patients and migrant workers were from across the state, the district administration had arranged bus facility from station to their home for their convenience. The district administration had arranged 91 buses for ferrying passengers reaching Hatia from Vellore and Bangalore. The district Ambulances facilities were also arranged for serious patients. Also at station wheelchair was kept for patients’ problem in walking. The passengers reaching Hatia body temperature was tested with thermal scanner and after following proper hygiene were given seats in buses. In buses the patients and migrant workers were seated maintaining social distancing.
The maximum passengers were from Giridih, district followed by Latehar, Palamu, Hazaribag, Koderma, Dhanbad, Bokaro and others. Moreover, after the district administration allowed private vehicles issuing them passes for ferrying patients, several private vehicles were also seen at railway station.
The patients and their caregivers were much excited on reaching their home state. A youth who had gone to Vellore for his father treatment was much excited about returning home. The youth said, “My father is kidney patient. We had gone to Vellore on March 21 for two day treatment and we were to return back by March 25, but at that time lockdown occurred and we were left with no other alternative but to stay at Vellore.” The youth thanked Hemant Soren government and Railways for arranging train facility. The Ranchi deputy collector Rai Mahimapat Ray himself was present at Hatia railway station looking after the arrangements made by district administration and social distancing norms.
On the initiative of respective State governments and Centre, the railway has been running special trains carrying migrant labourers, students and patients stranded at different parts of country.
A train from Hyderabad's Lingampalli, carrying nearly 1,200 migrant workers, reached Hatia in Jharkhand on May 1. This was first train to ferry migrants amid nationwide lockdown.