Indian Railways has agreed to give up some of the unused land under its control for setting up health care facilities.

The railway ministry has identified 361 plots of 200 square metres each for diagnostic centres, 88 plots of 5 acres each for small hospitals and 41 plots of 20 acres each for super-specialty hospitals near big railway stations, such as those at the state capitals.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between the railway ministry and the health ministry on Friday.

A working group is being set up to implement this project.

“Both ministries have decided to use land under the railway ministry, which is not under operational use, to be made available for setting up health facilities for the public,” Union Railway Minister Mamata Bannerjee said.

“Crores of people travel by the Indian Railways every day. These hospitals near the railway stations will cater to them and save them the hassle of finding hospitals elsewhere in the city,” said Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The proposed hospitals and diagnostic centres will provide both allopathic and Indian system of treatments and medicines. The idea is use these health care facilities as trauma centres as well for emergencies, accidents and natural disasters. Medical colleges and nursing colleges are also being envisaged at these hospitals at a later stage.