The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashok Agarwal and Justice Ajit P Shah ordered the Western and Central suburban railway managements to refurbish the first-aid boxes and the personnel using them, while disposing off a public interest petition filed by one Kamayani Bali Mahabal. The bench today repeated government doctors should conduct surprise checks at every railway station and report the status of medical facilities to the court.

Mahabal's petition drove the attention of the court to the poor medical facilities at suburban railway stations in Mumbai. Counsel Maharukh Adenwala had submitted a list of medical equipment and other first-aid items which should be available at every station. The court had asked railways to inform if the facilities were available at all.

Meanwhile, the deputychief medical director, WR, Geeta Chaturvedi today filed an affidavit stating that all station masters, deputy station masters and guards are trained in first-aid treatment. They are also authorised to hire taxis or ambulances to transport the victim to the nearest hospital. The WR claimed stretchers, dressing material, splints, tourniquets, bandage and gauze are readily available at all stations. However, certain items like intravenous needles, endotracheal tube and artery forceps require handling by trained staff and not first-aiders.