Life Line Express : Hospital of Rails , which is being hosted by Tata Steel at Meramundali Railway siding in Dhenkanal district of Orissa, started of its operations today. Mr Sanjay Pattnaik, Chief Resident Executive (Orissa) of Tata Steel started off the operations of Life Line Express today at Meramunduli. This is fourth such occasion Tata Steel is hosting Life Line Express in Orissa after Goplapur, Daitari and Jajpur. Shri Tathagata Satpathy, Honble Member of Parliament, Shri Sudhir Kumar Samal, Honble Member of Legislative Assembly and Mr J. Ahmed Khan, Collector (Dhenkanal) visited the Life Line Express today along with others.

The Hospital on Rails, equipped with a modern operation theatre, which offers free diagnostic, medical and surgical treatment for prevention and curative interventions, would be starting its activity in Meramundali from January 3, 07. The Hospital would be stationed there till January 25, 07. The activity and preliminary screening for Life Line Express was initiated in November 2006 in more that 60 CHC and PHC in Dhenkanal and Anugul districts. Till date more than 5000 persons have reported to the screening camps.

On the first day, it would be take up cases on orthopaedics and OPD. Orthopaedics operations would be starting from the next day i.e. 04 January 07. Camps on Plastic Surgery would be starting on 07 January, the ENT camps would be starting on 14 January and the eye camps would be starting on 18 January 07.

The Lifeline Express is an international initiative, which began in 1981 in England to prevent and cure avoidable disablement. With technical and managerial support from Voltas a leading company of the Tata Group; Impact India was set up in 1983 to start the Life Line Express initiative in India. Eight years later, with the Indian Railways and Voltas playing a major role, this unique model for India's disabled was launched. Life Line Express (Hospital on rails) in India is used to provide medical services for the rural populace in interior areas having railway connectivity. Indian Railways, Impact India, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Government of Orissa and Tata Steel are jointly coordinating for hosting this hospital in Meramundui, Dhenkanal.

Till date, Tata Steel has sponsored Life Line Express eleven times and on the twelfth occasion it is hosting Life Line Express in Meramunduli in Dhenkanal district of Orissa. Prior to this, Tata Steel has hosted Lifeline Express on three occasions in Orissa namely at Gopalpur, Daitari and Jajpur Road. More than 50,000 patients had been benefited from Life Line Express initiative of Tata Steel.