Kozhikode, Kerala: Major railway stations under the Palakkad Railway Division will soon have 24-hour pharmacies, diagnostic laboratories and medical rooms to provide basic healthcare services to passengers.

The facilities will be operated by private agencies in collaboration with nearby hospitals. While full-time doctors will not be stationed at the centres, trained caregivers and pharmacists will be available round the clock.

In the first phase, the facilities will be introduced at railway stations in Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Shoranur, Palakkad, Tirur, Thalassery, Vadakara and Kannur.

Each centre will be equipped with an ambulance, a stretcher, a wheelchair, and essential emergency medical equipment. Passengers requiring advanced treatment will be shifted to nearby hospitals. The centres may also conduct health camps and blood tests.

Charges for services will be regulated by the Railways, with medicine prices and diagnostic test rates expected to be lower than those charged outside the stations.

At Kozhikode Railway Station, construction of the facility is in its final stages on the southern side of Platform 4.

The PVS-Sunrise Group has been selected to operate the pharmacy and laboratory at Kozhikode, while Snipers, a company based in Payyanur, will manage the operations.