Newer Challenges For The Medical Department of Chennai Division

Newer Challenges for the Medical Department of Chennai Division
Dr. Muralidhar, Chief Medical Superintendent/Chennai Division
The Medical Department of Chennai Division is different from other Divisions in that
the Divisional Hospital is located at Arakkonam which is 70 kms from Chennai. We
also have Health Units at various important stations like Jolarpet, Katpadi,
Chingelpet, Haffieldspet and Sulurpet besides Units in the City at Chennai Central,
Chennai Egmore, Avadi, Tambaram, Tondiarpet and Royapuram. Against 28
sanctioned posts of Medical Officers we have 27 officers on our rolls. There are two
posts of CMS, 4 SAG doctors, 15 Sr DMOs, 1 Sr Dental surgeon, 1 ADMO and 4
CMPs. There are also 2 Assistant Health Officers and 1 Assistant Pharmacy Officer.
We examine and treat near about 36,500 out patients in a month and cater to the
medical needs of 34356 employees, 4000 RELHS pensioners and other beneficiaries.
The Hospital at Arakkonam has 50 beds and serves as a reference center for the
Health Units at Katpadi, Jolarpet and Chingelpet etc. From a humble beginning as a
Health Unit in 1945 it was upgraded in 1967 to a Sub Divisional Hospital and in 1995
to a full fledged Divisional Hospital. A modern ICU with all facilities like Monitor
defibrillator, Oxygen concentrator and multiparameter etc., are available and acutely
ill patients with heart attacks, cerebro vascular strokes and other life threatening
emergencies are managed efficiently and successfully. We have twin Operation
Theatres with facilities for giving general anesthesia and major and minor surgeries
are conducted here. Plans are afoot to procure a Ventilator for ICU and a modern
ultrasound machine for scanning and Doppler studies.
In March 2010 we conducted a Family Welfare Camp and laparoscopic sterilization

Operation Theatre Railway Hospital Arakkonam
was performed on 18 lady patients with full patient satisfaction. Our Bed Occupancy
ratio is a healthy 70%. We have also embarked on an ambitious drive to augment the
facilities at our
Hospital with procurement of modern equipments including a new 500 MA X-ray
unit which was commissioned. A modern Laboratory with semi auto analyzer and
two lab chemists ensures that all base line investigations are done in house. This
hospital is well maintained and extremely patient friendly with neat wards and OP
departments. There are six posts of Medical officers attached to the Hospital. We can
also call Outside Specialists on case to case basis and Hospital Visiting Specialists in
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General Surgery, General Medicine to see cases requiring a second opinion. The
Hospital is eco friendly with arrangements in place for safe disposal of Hospital
wastes and a conscious sustained effort has always been made to have greenery all
around for a calm and quiet ambience.
Chennai Division has been in the forefront for introducing several dynamic measures
to make it certain that our beneficiaries’ health needs are fully realized. We have
entered into contracts with reputed outside laboratories for outsourcing investigations
at Health Units where laboratory facility is unavailable. This Division can be rightly
proud that there is not a single Health Unit where this has not been done. Here both
routine Tests and specialized tests can be done without the patient facing any
financial hardship. We have outsourced taking of X rays at the Health Unit level and
in deserving cases even ultra sound examinations can be ordered to be taken at private
centres. The Railways will make all arrangements for the payment of the bills. In
order to keep a close watch on the standard of investigations done in our own
Laboratory, Quality control checks has been introduced by tie up with Department of
Biochemistry, Christian Medical College, Vellore.
The Doctors of the Department has formulated 25 protocols providing step by step
instructions to deal with many situations in clinical practice like cardiac arrest, acute
shock, status epilepticus, normal labour, pre operative assessment, workup prior to
cataract surgery etc. We have algorithms for disaster management and for doing
proper medical examinations. Committees have been formed for Hospital
improvement, drug audit, Medical audit and Hospital infection control.
A plan to systematically improve the Divisional Railway Hospital at Arakkonam is in

place and a new meeting hall is ready. Arrangements are in progress for Telemedicine
to start functioning so that Doctors can periodically interact with specialists at
Railway Hospital, Perambur to discuss diagnostic difficulties and treatment options.
The Health Units are being taken up one by one for re modeling and this year the
Tambaram Unit was completely redone. Apart from curative medicine attention is
devoted to preventive aspects and health promotive work. Chennai Division has
conducted 8 Health Education work shops, 6 CME programmes, 4 Stage wise training
programmes for para medical staff, 10 DM and HT screening camps etc. Cleanliness
campaigns, Geriatrics Health Checkup, Cancer Detection camp etc. Exhibitions and
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Quiz programmes were also conducted in various stations to create awareness on

cleanliness, sanitation and on promotive health.
Now the sanitation of all major stations has been entrusted to the Medical department
and in this connection conservancy contracts have to be finalized so that mechanized
cleaning is ushered in and there is perceptible evidence of improvement in the
cleanliness. In our Division conservancy contracts are already in place at Katpadi,
Jolarpettai and Moore Market Complex Suburban Terminal/Chennai. Contracts were
also awarded at Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore stations both of which are ‘A1’
Category stations. Two more stations Chengelpet and Melmaravathur are also under
mechanized cleaning contracts. Eleven posts of Health inspectors have been
additionally created and the inspectors have already joined service to supervise the
cleaning work and a distinct improvement is already apparent in the over all
cleanliness of the stations.
By making efforts to improve the health services including curative, preventive and
promotive aspects and with the intention of making our Stations absolutely clean and
tidy, the Doctors and Para-Medical staff of Chennai Division are fulfilling the
Mission Objective of Railway Health Services which is “Total patient satisfaction
through Humane Approach and shared Commitment of every single doctor and
paramedic to provide quality Health Care using modern and cost effective treatment
and technology”.
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Newer Challenges for the Medical Department of Chennai Division

Dr. Muralidhar, Chief Medical Superintendent/Chennai Division

In March 2010 we conducted a Family Welfare Camp and laparoscopic sterilization

A plan to systematically improve the Divisional Railway Hospital at Arakkonam is in

Quiz programmes were also conducted in various stations to create awareness on

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